The Scourge Wars
by Nice-Guy-Wolf
Summary: Cooper has lived in Conter Valley all his life and things don't start changing until he makes a bet and starts dating a Flareon who's mostly kept to herself most of her life. But when Cooper finds love for her, he gets plunged into a world of war, power, and pain. Join me as I recite the tale of Cooper the Jolteon and Elise the Flareon.
1. Prologue

Hello hello readers. This is the official beginning of my new story. After some time and thought and effort I have managed to push this story out and begin my new adventure. After the embarrassingly poor written **Exotic: The Thunder Devil** which I rushed. I have created a longer and more detailed story. I hope you enjoy this new adventure with me as we plunge into the world of Pokemon.

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 **Part 1**

 **Prologue**

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Cooper came to when he felt sharp pains in his ribs and his legs. He felt wet on multiple areas of his body and quickly realized it was blood from the stench. His blood. This was the first time Cooper had ever really bled this badly. He had only ever gotten a few scratches and maybe a few bruises. Nothing terrible, though. And it never reeked too bad. Now he smelled like a rotting corpse and he wasn't even dead yet. Might as well be though from the pain he was enduring. Cooper felt crushed in some places and burnt in others. Every time he attempted to open his eyes he felt as if someone had taken a pot of boiling water and poured a bit into his eyes as punishment for trying. He tried to move his legs, but only ended up facing the same treatment as his eyes except this felt like needles instead.

 _What happened?_ he thought as he laid under what appeared to be heavy debris. He couldn't remember much of anything that had happened or what put him here. Wherever here was. The throbbing and pounding in his head causing him an annoyingly painful migraine probably didn't help either with trying to remember or even think properly. And to top it all off the only thing he could hear were the disturbing sounds of explosions and the ear-piercing wails of other people caught in the same situation he was in echoing through the valley. Cooper didn't believe things could get any worse. Especially after Elise had ran out on him.

 _Elise! What happened to Elise? She might be hurt. She might be…_ Cooper refused to finish that thought and pushed with what strength he had left to remove the debris crushing him. He might as well have not tried at all. It only made matters worse than they already were. Every attempt he made at pushing the debris it would react by countering him with immense amounts of pain. His legs feeling like twigs didn't help either. He realized that it was no use to try and decided to spare himself the torment.

He needed to find Elise. If anything happened to her he might as well kill himself and relieve his anguish. But what could he do? He couldn't do anything in the first place. How could he help her when he couldn't even help himself. She probably didn't want his help or even want to see him in the first place. _Why did you make that bet you idiot?_

He then tried yelling for help to see if anyone else was around him that was alive and could move freely to assist him. He quickly noticed that his voice was hoarse and broken and he only managed to produce a squeal. He was dehydrated and the only thing he could taste was the crisp smoke in the air. His throat was dry. He needed water. Course there would be none he could find or reach for miles in his incapacitated state. If it wasn't the blood loss that killed him first it would be his thirst.

What hope was there for him. He couldn't move, see, or even scream for help. The blood he was losing was only making matters worse. If he didn't get any help soon he was surely going to succumb to the long eternal slumber even though it felt like all hope had already been robbed of him. It wasn't until he heard movement and the running of other people around him that he perked up. He moved his body and shook the rubble on top of him to hopefully grab the groups' attention. It hurt badly to do that and caused him to shake uncontrollably under the debris. But it was worth it because sure enough he heard paw steps dash over to where he was obscured.

"Arceus have mercy this guy's alive! Hey! Come give me some help over here!" a voice hollered. Cooper heard five or six people rushing toward him. As they got close he could hear whispers that consisted of both amazement and shock about how he was still alive. He felt a paw stoke the back of his neck. "How in the world are you still alive?" the voice whispered to Cooper.

"I d-don't… W-what happened? W-who are you?" Cooper finally managed to muster quietly, but loud enough to be heard. That probably shouldn't have been his big concerns considering he was entombed under stone. But he was curious.

"My name's Alan. It was an attack. The Scourge have invaded and are attacking villages and small towns all across the southern border. The king's army has done its best to fend them off but they keep on coming. But there's no time to talk about that. We have to get you out of here," Alan said quickly.

 _The Scourge? Didn't the predictions say they weren't supposed to invade for another year? Why so soon? And what do they wa-_ Cooper's thought abruptly ended as he screamed in pain as the five or six people attempted to elevate the debris off of him. It felt like a large knife was being shoved into his gut and was twirled around a few times to blend his insides. He had never experienced anything like this before. He'd never broken a bone or bruised himself too badly in his life. He was careful. Now it felt like he had been thrown down a mountain breaking most of his bones only to encounter a bed of spikes and other pointy objects at the bottom. Cooper didn't know how long they were trying to lift the debris for. Nor did he care. All he could think about was the torture he was enduring. It was unbearable. He just wanted it to end. He eventually got what he wished for when the people gently started lowering the rubble back on to him where it rested again.

"W-what's wrong? W-why'd you stop?" Cooper asked.

"The debris… won't budge. It's locked in place," Alan responded grimly.

"There's nothing we can do. We have to leave him. He's dead anyways," a male said.

"Hey! What the hell has gotten into you!" another younger sounding male barked furiously.

"He's right. Look how much blood he's already lost. Even if we could free him he wouldn't be able to walk and eventually he would die from his injuries," a woman stated.

"So what do you suggest we do? Leave him here to rot and die! You're a bunch of cowards!" Alan yelled aggressively.

"It's not cowardice! We have no choice! I'm sorry. I wish there was another way, but there isn't and we're out of time," the first male said again.

It got frighteningly quiet. No one spoke for a while and the only sound Cooper could here was the screams in the distance. He couldn't stand the silence. So he decided to be the one to break the it.

"D-don't leave me here. I c-can't die. I n-need to see he-," He started to cough uncontrollably spitting out blood. The coughing hurt badly and was like having nails clawing and scratching at the inside of his throat. He was running out of time. He needed to persuade them to help him. But before he got the chance to say anything Alan spoke up.

"Hey! Hey take it easy. Relax. It's okay." There was a pause before he spoke again. He heard Alan sigh and then ask, "What's your name kid?"

"C-Cooper. Cooper Verlidian," Cooper responded quietly.

"Do you have any family Cooper?" Alan asked. There was no chance at persuading them. This was probably the important question that he was supposed to answer right before they left him here to die. Cooper finally accepted the truth. He wasn't going to get out of this one alive. Even if they managed to remove the debris, he would never make the trip and would only be dead weight. Literally.

He did have family, but he didn't nor would he ever consider them family. The only person he actually thought of as family was… Elise? He thought about it. He had planned to ask her to be his lover and mate for life before she ran away from him. Even if she didn't see Cooper the same way doesn't mean she wasn't family to him. He would be saying a lot for what he was about to say and would kind of be saying something that wasn't true. But it was true to him. _Why did I make that bet._

"Y-yes. Her n-name is Elise. She's my m-mate. I n-need to know if s-she's safe," Cooper finally responded. It didn't matter if she won't see him the same way. If he was going to die here than he at least wanted her to know what he thought of both of them. He loved her more than anything else in his life. "T-tell her that s-she means the w-world to me and m-more. And t-that I'm s-sorry," his breath was wavering and his voice only hurt more after he said what he believed were his final words. He felt tears form within his eyes only to be evaporated by the heat in the air. _Blast this heat._ _At least let me cry once more._

"You'll be glad to hear that she's fine and healthy and making her way with the others out of the village. I'll deliver the message," said Alan. "I'm sorry there was nothing else we could do. Best wishes to you in the afterlife Cooper Verlidian. May Arceus watch over you." After that the others gave their condolences as well and took off leaving Cooper alone in under the rubble where he was bound for death. At least she was alive. _Thank Arceus._ That's the only thing that mattered to him

This was it. This was really the end for him. He was going to die out here alone. He never got to live a long life. Never got to live in his own home where he could rest peacefully. _Never gonna have a family._ That probably hurt most of all to him. He thought he had a future with Elise. He thought they would be together till they grew old and passed of age. That they could raise their own family and watch them grow up to be great people. He loved the idea of being able to have that. Now she might end up with someone else in her life and raise a family with them instead forgetting Cooper ever existed in the first place.

The time was coming. He could feel himself slipping away little by little. His body slowly going numb. The pain was starting to subside. At least there was that. He tried to open his eyes again to take one more good look at his hometown, but only ended up facing the boiling water again. Why him? The big question haunted him. Of all the people who died here today, why did he have to be one of them. Even if he had already graduated from school, he was still too young to die at an age like this. The world went quiet as he slowly started to lose conscience. Everything went still as Cooper recalled all the events of his past up to this moment.

 _Elise…_ Cooper saw the shiny flareon standing in the golden fields the day of their date. He stared at her soft, gorgeous orange fur blowing in the wind. _Elise…_ The dandelion that rested on her ear. _Elise._ Her bushy golden mane and golden tail flowing off her perfectly curved and angled form. _Elise._ That adorable smile that gleamed off her face from the bright rays of the sun as they beamed onto her face. _Elise!_ Cooper's body suddenly leaped with a surge of force that he had never felt before. _Elise!_ He needed to see that smile again. He needed to see her. To hold her in his embrace once more. He couldn't die here. He refused to die here! _Elise!_ His body vibrated with energy that pulsed through his veins to the core of his being. With all of the energy built up inside him he found an ability that had been inside of him since birth. Refusing to give up this opportunity Cooper clung to the newfound power and expelled the energy that was built up inside him. _**GIGAVOLT HAVOC!**_ The sky crackled with a loud roar and the ground erupted violently as the debris that covered him was instantaneously shattered into pieces. He felt the energy coarse through the entirety of his being and it felt exhilarating. The sudden push of energy bursting from his body had felt like nothing he had ever experienced before. He loved it. When the light show was finally over the pressure that was crushing his body was relieved and he was free to move his muscles. The sudden energy that had filled him and allowed him to push out such an intense attack had faded away slowly and he felt drastically tired from it.

He rubbed his eyes so he could clear the smoke in the air. He did it a few times before he was finally able to open them. After that it took him a few minutes to adjust to the light like waking up in the morning and walking out into the sunlight. When his eyes were finally adjusted to the light around him and he was able to see where he was he froze in shock. The attack he had bred had formed an enormous crater the size of a house around him. He was only hoping to break the debris on top of him, but he had done much more than that. _But how._ Nothing could muster that much energy unless… _What if… what if it was Z-Power?_ No. That wasn't possible. Z-Power was a myth. Scientists said that it would be impossible to generate that much energy and that all the myths and legends about Z-Power existing were false. But if that was the case. Then what in the name of Arceus was Gigavolt Havoc.

He shook his head. It didn't matter right now. He needed to know what had become of the village. He slowly and painfully made his way out of the crater to view his home. When he did, however. He was met with a ruined and burnt down valley. The once proud village of Conter Valley was now in fragments. His home gone. Cooper had grown up here ever since he was just an infant. The village had meant so much to him and more. Seeing it like this was… hard to believe. "Why?" Was the only thought that could come to his mind. How could the Scourge be so cruel. We had done nothing to them. All we ever wanted was peace. To live happily. But the Scourge only knew war, pain, and death. Cooper growled with anger and wished to make them taste their own medicine.

 _Elise._ His anger quickly formed into worry as he searched desperately for the direction of where the survivors had ran to. He glanced east and noticed the school they had went to in large chunks of stone and brick. All of the memories he had of that place both the good and the bad were now lost in the back of his mind as he shed a tear for where he had learned about the world and how it worked. There was little to no time to mourn, however. As much as he wanted to drop on his knees and cry for his lost home. He needed to move quickly. He guessed if the villagers were smart that they would have fled North towards the capital city to create as much distance between them and the Scourge.

That was where he had to go if he had any chance of seeing Elise again. He would not let this second chance slip out of his paws. He was about to sprint when a sharp pain jabbed at his ribs. He fell to the ground squealing with no voice to yell in the first place. He had forgotten to check his own injuries. He turned to view what had become of his rib-cage. He laid there in horror and fear as he found a long metal pole sticking out straight through his gut and out his back. But that wasn't the worst of it. His fur was painted red from how much blood he had spilled. His paws up to his elbows were badly bruised and swollen from being crushed by the debris and to top it all off he had a hefty piece of glass lodged in the armpit of his front-right leg. He howled in pain as he was finally feeling the pain he hadn't felt before. The power surge must have put him in shock.

He fell to the ground in agony as his body rattled with pain. He wrapped his paws around the pole carefully wincing painfully as the glass shifted in his arm and looked away breathing heavily. He braced for the pain he was about to experience and with as much force as he could yanked on the pole. His whole body shook aggressively as Cooper yelled and clawed at the earth in torment. He wasn't even able to make the pole budge from it's position. The only thing he accomplished was making it hurt even more for both his gut and arm.

And then it was happening again. The world was fading away as his body slowly went numb. He tried to move his muscles to stay awake. But he was met with drowsiness and nausea. "Please. P-please help me Arceus. I-I can't die. I need to see her again," Cooper sobbed. Tears formed in his eyes as his vision grew blurry and his sobs turned into soft breathing. He could feel his heart slowing down. "Please…" he begged silently. His eyelids fell on each other and all he could see was darkness. He'll never get to see her again. He was going to die and never get another chance to hold hold her in his arms again. Cooper's body crumbled and he started to wither from the world of the living and slip into the long slumber.

 _Elise…_

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That took quite a while to perfect to the best I can. I hope you enjoyed it. I will be posting a new chapter every Friday unless something comes up and in a case like that I'll end up posting the chapter on Monday instead and continue to post the same Friday of that week and so on. I hope to devote a lot of time to this so that you guys can be entertained.


	2. Apple of Discord

**So here's the deal. This chapter took a lot longer to do then I had anticipated. Plus I have lots of school stuff going on and I'm working a lot. What that means is instead of my once every Friday thing. I'm gonna push out these chapters when I have the time to write them. Which will most likely be the weekends. So expect a chapter either on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday every week. Further news. This story in it's future will absolutely be containing limes. And maybe lemons. That's a maybe though. I've been torn on whether to try it or not. But that's for the future to tell. Not now. Other news. This will be a very depressing story in it's future. Expect disturbing thoughts and lots of violence. That's why this is rated M. Read at your own risk. Anyways. Enjoy chapter 1!**

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 **Chapter 1:**

 **Apple of Discord**

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 **One week before the invasion…**

The valley woke with the sun that tore through the clouds and illuminated the land. The swellows, pidgeots, and plenty other flying pokemon were already in the air collecting food for their young. The residents of Conter Valley always woke up at either eleven or twelve in the morning due to the monstrous Conter mountains that shielded the large village from the early sun that would have to peak over the mountains in order to spread its light to the people. Of course that meant that their days would tend to be short for the sun always arrived sometime before ten in the morning and disappeared sometime after two in the afternoon. Winter only made things much darker usually creating one to two hour days.

Anyone who entered the town and wasn't accustomed to short days and long nights ended up tired and confused most of the time. Especially since all visitors came from the capital and the rest of the cities north of the Conter Mountains. But the only time they had visitors were during spring or summer where the temperatures weren't entirely freezing. To the villagers the weather was nothing and they were already adapted to its climate changes. It also helped that the people of Conter Valley were stubborn and full of pride.

The Conter Mountains were regarded as the most dangerous place to travel in and to navigate with winter making things immensely worse. The stars were barely visible with all the clouds and mountains blocking the view of helpless travellers that wished to finish exploring the mountains. It was true that the mountains had never been fully explored because of the dangers it provided the further in someone went. Not even flying pokemon could seem to get any closer to the center. And anyone that ventured deeper into the mass would go missing never to be seen again. Only one pokemon had escaped the misty center. It was one of the greatest mysteries to date.

That's why the villagers always bragged about how they had no fear of the mountains and would gloat about the tale of their ancestors three-hundred years ago when a large group of fifty-six refugees had fled to the mountains in fear of the thirteenth Divine King wrath and laws as they knew he wouldn't go that far for a group of travellers. So when they had arrived in what seemed was the perfect place to settle in they built their houses, planted their crops, and birthed the first denizens of the mountains forming the now renowned village of Conter Valley. And now the villagers were used to the harsh environment and lived in peace even though the fifteenth Divine King had brought harmony and calm to the land.

Cooper's grandparents were two of the refugees that had fled with the travellers. They lived and raised Cooper's father. And after Cooper's birth they ended up raising him as well after his mother died giving birth to him and after his father abandoned him and left Conter Valley.

He enjoyed living with them, however. His grandpa would always tell the craziest stories of his travels across the land with the craziest of them all being how he met Cooper's grandmother. Being an only child gave Cooper the luxurys of having all the love his grandparents could offer. He had people that actually loved him and that's what mattered to him the most especially after he had no parents. At least no parent that wanted him.

Then one day when he was still an eevee his grandmother grew terribly ill of a disease that had been going around and was incurable at the time. Eventually she lost the battle and passed away. It was devastating to both him and his grandpa. Cooper mourned her death for months until he finally recovered. After a year passed his grandpa lost his life as well from old age leaving Cooper alone without a family again.

He was sent to live with another family in the village that never showed him the love or care that his grandparents had except for a girl younger than Cooper named Ana. Though her parents hated Cooper and forced him to do most of the chores she had become good friends with him. Even though the family wasn't perfect. He still had a place to stay and live in while he continued school until he was ready to move out and find a mate.

Luckily that time was coming since school was coming to an end for him. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He knew what he wanted to do of course. The same thing as everyone else in the valley. Buy some land, farm crops, and raise a family. Only problem was that he didn't have too much money to afford a good place and he wasn't good at farming. He did however have a mate in mind.

What made things more complicated though was he was the only electric type in the valley making him popular with everyone. Though it was usual to get blizzards during the winter and a good amount of rain clouds throughout spring, summer and fall. Thunderstorms were rare to come by in the Conter Mountains. If there ever was one it would last only an hour or two. That's why on the night of a great hurricane that had been rampaging throughout the kingdom was above Conter valley while Cooper was climbing up the mountains and was struck by a bolt of lightning. Instead of being thrown down the mountain he evolved into a jolteon. He was the first electric type to live in the valley. His return home came as a surprise to the villagers. As for his guardians it was a convenience and only gave him more chores to do.

He had never had any real friends before that moment. He was shunned and made fun of by the kids of the village who called Cooper a mistake. School only made things worse as they bullied him constantly and would even beat him sometimes. But after he evolved people gave him more attention than he ever imagined getting. For the first time he had other friends in his life besides Ana and more people that wanted to talk to him. Most of the girls in the school tried to him on him and he eventually ended up dating a few of them. They never worked out though. He didn't know how to talk to girls besides one. And one was all he needed especially since the school administration had announced yesterday that their was going to be a final dance for seniors a week from yesterday.

He had it all planned out and thought about it as he grabbed his bag and flew down the stairs hoping to get out of the house without being noticed by his guardians.

"And what are you in a rush for? Will you not wait for Ana. Have you completed all your chores?" Mrs. Peters demanded with annoyance.

He turned his head towards the impatient espeon. "I wanted to go for a quick run before me and Ana go to school and I already did all my chores. I'm also not very hungry for breakfast," even though that last part wasn't true.

"The hell you are!" a ticked off looking umbreon said walking down the stairs. "Go get me my fucking newspaper!" he barked angrily.

"Yes sir…" Cooper sighed. _Because you're too fat and lazy to do it yourself._

He walked out the door and looked upon Conter Valley in all of its beauty. He watched a flock of flying pokemon soaring through the air some heading to the farms to collect food while others were already on their way back to their younglings with food. He saw the same arcanine and mightyena run by as they did every day. One time he asked them why they did it and they responded with, "It makes for good body structure. Plus. It's fun to run around the village," which influenced Cooper to run himself.

The only thing was that he had become too fast. The world record for the fastest anyone had ever moved was seventy-three miles per hour which was incredibly fast. Except Cooper had gone ninety-six miles per hour once somewhere east in the mountains when he had evolved into a jolteon and wanted to test his max speed. He wasn't expecting to go so fast though. In fact. When he had hit ninety-six he ended up tripping himself and luckily flew into a soft bush where he only obtained a bruise or two and a few scratches. He had already broken the world record for being the fastest pokemon with only a few weeks of running. After that day of hitting his top speed he decided to jog instead of running. He didn't want anyone to know about it. Especially his guardians who would just use him to earn money from him by placing him official races.

He walked over to the mailbox and found the rolled up paper covered in a bag. He lifted it up and before he walked inside he saw something interesting on the paper inside. He looked closely and read the large black printed title.

" **The Divine King issues the kingdom in a state of caution"**

 _State of caution? Was the kingdom under attack or was it another storm?_ Cooper thought as he was half tempted to open and read it himself. That was until he realized why he came to get the news in the first place. He had kept Mr. Peters waiting too long. He quickly ran to the house, opened the door, and placed the newspaper in front of the annoyed man.

"What the hell took you so long! I've been waiting here for two minutes already! You better have a good excuse," Mr. Peters said furiously glaring at Cooper.

"Some people stopped by and were asking him some questions. Leave him be father," a shiny leafeon only a couple inches shorter than Cooper said gently. Ana had saved him again from her father's anger. If anyone could get through to Mr. Peters it was her. Though the short-tempered umbreon hated Cooper he loved his daughter more than the world and then some.

Ana was a rare form of a shiny leafeon giving her an exotic look. Her fur was colored a soft, light pink and her ears, tail, and the leaf on her forehead were a deeper shade of pink. And to match all of that her eyes were a hot pink. She was considered by both girls and boys a treasure worth more than gold.

Ever since Cooper arrived at the Peters home he and Ana had been best friends with each other. She would always be looking out for him in case her father got angry again. She was the only person Cooper saw as family now. And after their evolutions they had become as close as glue. They would chase each other and play with each other almost all the time. That was probably the only thing Mr. Peters liked about Cooper. As long as he made his daughter happy but not too happy he was fine with letting him stay in the house. One of those rules ended up being broken, however when Cooper and Ana got a little too close to each other. One day a while back she was going through her first heat. And unfortunately Cooper and her hadn't made it home yet. He tried his best to subdue himself and she tried to imagine he wasn't there by looking away the whole time. But eventually her needs and his wants took control of them and they ended up getting home really late that night. Mr. Peters knew immediately what had happened from the smell and Cooper fled the house before the enraged man got a chance to kill him. It was two days before Ana was able to convince her father that she asked Cooper of it for the man to begrudgingly let Cooper back in. When he did though. The still angry man threatened him with everything he could think of if Cooper ever tried anything like that again. Not to mention the plethora of things he had to do that week as punishment. Ana and Cooper agreed it was best to respect Mr. Peters wishes and to stay away from each other when she went into heat. It didn't last long though.

She glanced in Cooper's direction and winked at him as she sat down by the square table next to her father. He smiled and ran his mouth through two shapes to form a silent thank you. She returned the smile and then looked away trying to hide the transaction between them.

"Fine. Next time tell them you're busy. I don't like waiting," the man said softly finally calming down from his earlier fit. Cooper sat down opposite of Ana realizing he wasn't going to be able to escape breakfast.

The four of them sat in silence as they ate their meal. It wasn't always this quiet at the table. Mr. Peters would always be talking to his daughter about her school and her friends and would question Cooper about chores. But now he had nothing to say. At least not until he had finished eating his meal.

"Tell me Cooper. This is your last day of school correct?" Mr. Peters asked which confused Cooper both because he was asked a question first and because Mr. Peters had been watching the school days for Cooper go by up to today which means he already knows the answer.

"Yes… Today is my last. There's a farewell dance next week that I'm expected to attend though," Cooper responded.

"I see," Mr. Peters said. And again it was quiet. No one said a word. Once everyone had finished Mr. Peters spoke again. "When you leave our house to find a place and a mate of your own. We will be moving out and heading towards the capital. Family there has bought us passage through the gates and into a nice home within the walls of the capital. In three days we will pack our things and take our leave out of Conter Valley," Mr. Peters said leaving Cooper frozen in place unable to say anything.

Ana jumped out of her chair and yelled, "What! Why! We've lived in Conter Valley our whole lives! We can't just leave!"

"It's not up for debate Ana! I won't argue with you when the main reason you wish to stay is to be with Cooper!" Mr. Peters said loudly. Ana looked at Cooper and even on her the light pink fur her cheeks, Cooper could see the red fill them up. "You two may think you're hiding it from me but I know you two have deep feelings for each other."

"I-I… that's not…" Ana stuttered and fell silent. Cooper was still frozen. He couldn't find the words to say anything. Then all of a sudden he grew angry at the man who had made him suffer and work day after day in his house making Cooper suffer and now he was taking Ana away from him.

Cooper slammed the table with his paw snapping the wood in it and burst out yelling, "I put up with your shit every day for fourteen fucking years! You made me work and do all your stupid chores for you while you lazily sat on your ass and did nothing you fat son of a bitch! And now you're gonna take her away from me!"

The table was silent with unease as all eyes were on him. It took him a minute to render what he had just said and did.

Mr. Peters stood up and Cooper could see the veins on his head as he said, "You listen to me and you listen well boy. I will not let you of all people have my daughters paw in love! She is not yours nor will she ever be! You were abandoned and left by your father! You were a mistake to him and a disgrace!" Cooper finally lost it and lunged at the umbreon tackling him to the ground. The two rolled on the floor trying to get on top of each other and take the advantage. Cooper managed to succeed over the old man and pinned him to the ground and started slashing at him.

"No! Cooper stop! Get off of him!" Ana yelled as she and her mother tried to intervene as Cooper kept attacking the now defenseless man. Ana reached and grabbed Cooper's left foreleg before it could come down again. Cooper reacted by throwing his paw back to push her off and instead his claw had reached her face as he swung back slicing the skin on her face.

She fell to the ground clutching her face. Cooper stopped and looked at the leafeon on the ground. Ana's mother ran to her hurt daughter. Cooper's and Ana's gaze locked on to each other. He saw tears develop in her eyes as her face turned into one of hurt and fear.

"Ana I d-didn't…" he said as he tried to get closer to her. But before he got the chance Mr. Peters grabbed Cooper and through him across the room towards the door. Cooper slammed against the thick wood of the house and yelped as he felt a stinging go up his back. Mr. Peters got up and moved to his daughter to check her face.

What had he done? Why did he do it? He hurt Ana. He had scratched her beautiful face. He could smell the blood. He lifted himself off the ground and dashed out of the house as fast as he could not stopping. He heard Ana yell something behind him, but he couldn't make it out for he had just kept running. He didn't realize how fast he was going for the only thing on his mind was Ana and how he hurt her and until he knew it he had run up one of the mountains. He breathed heavily as he stopped in a cave near the peak. He yelled as loud as he could and heard his voice echo off the walls. He fell to the ground and curled up into a ball crying. What had he done?

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 **And that's the end of chapter 1 my friends. I hope you enjoyed it. Like I stated at the top. Next chapter will com out sometime next weekend. Reviews are always appreciated. And if you like what you're reading. Stick around and wait for more. If not. Then that's fine to. See you next time readers!**


	3. Family

**I apologize for the long wait and disappearance. I have been dealing with an illness and to add to that I've also been dealing with god knows how much school work. So I now bring you chapter 2. Finally. I can also say in my defense this chapter took a while to write. A long, long time. Mostly because what I'm doing with this story is sort of making it up as I go. But at the same token I have it roughly planned out where I want to go and how the characters are to develop. So forgive me if I have to think hard about somethings. But that's just how it is. If you don't like it then that's alright. I don't mind. But it's my story. My format. _Leave me alone. I've done nothing wrong._ Anyways. I'm trying my best to get these pushed out. But again. It's not as easy as it looks. So without further delay. Here's chapter 2. Enjoy :3**

* * *

 **Chapter 2:**

 **Family**

* * *

 _Fruits, veggies, and the secret ingredients for gramps' delicious pie._ Cooper continued to recite the list in his head his grandpa had given him as he ran down the street in a plastic coat towards the market. The mood of the village was annoyed and depressing due to the constant rain that had been pouring down the last few days. The clouds blocked the skies offering no sunlight to the crops that the farmers had been trying to grow and the overabundance of rain wasn't good either as it only flooded most of them away. _Almost there._ Cooper thought as he turned a corner and rammed right into somebody.

"Sorry! I wasn't looking. Please forgive me," Cooper said quickly before looking up to meet the person he had ran into so carelessly. It was a tall lucario wrapped in a hooded cape that covered most of his body from head to toe leaving his face barely visible. The stranger stared down at the eevee suspiciously with a stern face and what Cooper swore were two endless voids for eyes. Cooper attempted to move his body around the stranger but couldn't. It felt like he had been locked in place and that his muscles had been shut down.

The lucario continued to stare at Cooper until he smiled and leaned down on one of his knees while pulling the hoodie off his head saying, "It's okay kiddo. We all make mistakes sometimes. Gosh when I was a kid I was about the clumsiest riolu anyone could ever imagine. Why I would always be the one dropping plates or knocking people over or even tripping over even the smallest of things. Oh those were the days let me tell you. Oh. Sorry. I'd just realize I went off talking too much again. My name's is Vincent. What's yours?"

"Um… Cooper," Cooper managed to push out. It felt like a two-hundred pound weight had been lifted off his back when Vincent had stopped staring at him. Cooper noticed almost instantly that the endless voids occupying Vincent's eyes had suddenly faded away. Something was different about this guy that Cooper couldn't figure out. He didn't look like anyone from the village. Nor did his look match anyone he had ever seen before. He also didn't understand feeling a similar… aura around him. Like he was supposed to have know him or have talked to him recently.

"Cooper. Good name. Say Cooper. I hope you don't mind me asking why you're in such a hurry?" Vincent asked curiously. Cooper knew he shouldn't answer a stranger let alone a one with such an odd look. Gramps told him specifically not to talk to anyone he didn't know from outside the valley because it was dangerous and if someone had confronted him that he didn't know then he should walk away or go to an adult if the stranger persists.

"I'm going down to the market to grab stuff for my grandpa so he can make food for us," Cooper responded surprised. It felt like the words were forced out of his mouth as if someone had reached in and pulled them out. He looked at the still kneeling lucario's eyes and saw the two endless voids again except this time he realized that they were glowing and that he was again glaring at Cooper with a stern face. "What… did you… do?" Cooper said suddenly feeling tired.

Vincent stared at Cooper again for a minute as if he was staring right through him into his soul where Cooper couldn't hide. The glowing in his eyes stopped again and an expression of pain formed on his face while a single tear rolled down his face. He looked down wiping it away while his eyes closed. It wasn't until a couple of seconds later that he had reopened them looking back up to Cooper and then speaking in a deep and serious tone with a grim look on his face.

"Cooper Verlidian. Your life will be one of great happiness but also of indescribable suffering. You will bear burdens that no one else will be able to carry and your decisions will shape the very fate of the future as we know it. You will not know peace until the person known as the Spark who bears the blood and life of Arceus himself walks the steps of the world between space and time to calm the rage and wrath of the usurper king. The road ahead of you is long and you will either find peace and love or lose everyone and everything you ever cared for. Take this bracelet with you and hold onto it. When the time is right you will deliver it to the Spark. It's a lot to ask and I can't ask it if anyone else I'm afraid. We've spent a lot of time looking for you," Vincent said as he held out the bracelet towards Cooper.

Cooper stepped back quickly. This all seemed like crap just pouring out of Vincent's mouth. What he was saying sounded like stuff out of children's books or tales and that Cooper was supposed to believe it and fear it. What made things worse was he didn't know or had ever seen Vincent before and being a weird stranger wearing a hooded cape that made his body nearly impossible to see except his face didn't help his case. But what shook Cooper the most after realizing it was Vincent had said his first and last name. Cooper had only mentioned his first leaving Cooper curious and scared about Vincent knew his last name. All he could think about now was he needed to get away from Vincent as fast as possible and tell somebody.

Cooper prepared to propel himself away from Vincent when he noticed his eyes glowing again. Cooper's body stopped moving again even when he tried to pull his legs in the other direction. _The eyes!_ Cooper thought as he realized Vincent was controlling his movements. And then reluctantly Cooper felt his body being forced forward towards the lucario until his body was directly in front of him where he was still holding the bracelet. Cooper's paw betrayed itself and grabbed the bracelet off Vincent's hand storing it in the bag wrapped around his back.

"We'll meet again Cooper someday in another place. Until then I wish you the best of luck with what you are to face here shortly," Vincent said as he stood up and placed the hoodie back over his head. He looked at Cooper one more time smiling. That smile quickly faded and he dipped his head low. He then walked off out of Cooper's sight disappearing into the village.

Cooper felt the control of his body coming back to him. _What was that_? he thought. He steadied himself and started walking again towards the market.

 _Fruits, veggies, and the delicious ingredients for gramps' delicious pie._ Cooper thought again wondering why he had stopped in the middle of the street. He had to collect the stuff his gramps needed to make dinner and he was wasting time.

He began to skip down the street again when he saw the market in sight. He slowed down and walked into the market. The good thing about Conter Valley was they never ran out of food with everybody being farmers or farming as a hobby. Which also made Conter Valley the only place in the kingdom where products usually had a seventy-five percent discount or less. It also made more sense because Conter Valley was so hard to reach.

The scent of food both fresh and cooked hit Cooper hard. A sensation that surprised him every time he entered the market even if he had been to the it countless times. Cooper walked down the line of stands where he would take small glances at the different types of fruits, vegetables, and foods making sure not to stare too long so he wouldn't be tempted into getting a closer look and wasting time. Another thing that found him quickly was the noise. Difference was that he never appreciated the noise with the how loud the market is. He tended to get a throbbing headache after staying in the market for too long. So he was just going to grab the things gramps had asked him to get and leave as soon as possible.

The shop he was looking for came into sight and so did his favorite buyer, Marlin. Cooper approached the slow moving chesnaught and as he did he also saw the person he hated the most. Ethan, a krokorok that bullied him in school just about everyday rearranging berry filled jars on a shelf. Cooper looked away as swiftly as he could trying not to grab Ethan's attention but was too late as Ethan caught Cooper looking at him. He scowled at Cooper's approach and turned away muttering something under his breath as he continued to rearrange the jars.

"Cooper my boy I didn't think you were going to come. With all the the rain pouring down lately I thought you might've just had stayed home," Marlin said walking over to and opening a box.

"You know me better than that Marlin. A little rain won't stop me," Cooper said.

"Surprising," Ethan said mockingly.

"Oiy!" Marlin said grabbing Ethan's attention, "Cut that shit out. I don't want to be hearing any of that again am I clear?" Ethan tried to open his mouth but Marlin slammed his hand down on a table making both him and Cooper jump. "Am. I. Clear?" Marlin asked again.

Ethan looked Cooper's way clearly with an angry expression before turning his head back to Marlin and saying, "Yes sir," sighing afterwards and turning back to the shelf. Cooper knew he was safe right now but would feel the pain later in school where he was not so safe. Still Cooper smiled at Ethan getting silenced so easily.

"Sorry about that Cooper. Anyways. The package your grandfather ordered. Let's see… ah. Here it is. Here you go," Marlin said handing Cooper a bag that smelled amazing, "Now be on your way and tell your grandfather I said hello."

"I will. Thanks Marlin," taking one more look at the still angry Ethan before placing the bag on his shoulder and taking off to get out of the market.

Cooper ran outside into the still pouring rain and started making his way back home. It was going to take a while to get back. It was a little bit more difficult trying to go uphill in pouring rain then going downhill. And unfortunately his grandfather's house was on a low slope of one of the three mountains surrounding them. While any other pokemon would say the hike up is a pain, Cooper had done it so many times he was used to it. Good thing too because the rain was now creating a small river down the side of the mountain and Cooper had only just barely managed to reach his grandfather's house.

He walked up the steps and nudged the door open. Inside it was darker than usual. None of the candles were lit and everything was quiet. Cooper placed the bag on the table and reached for the lantern resting on a shelf near the stairs. He flicked a switch on the lantern and the candle on the inside lit. "I'm back gramps. I got the ingredients you asked for," Cooper shouted up the stairs. He waited for his grandfather to call back but heard nothing but the drops of rain on the roof of their house. "Grampa?" he called again this time walking up the stairs.

When he got up the stairs he noticed the door to his grandfather's room was slightly open with a small light coming from inside. He walked over to the door and opened it to a large room with a bed against the back and a large glaceon laying on it facing away from the door. "Gramps? Are you sleeping? At this time?" Cooper said as he walked over to his grandfather placing a paw on him and gently shaking, "It's still noon gramps. You can't be sleeping right… now…." His grandfather's body felt unusually cold. Cooper walked around the bed to see his grandfather's face. The old man looked peaceful in the state he was in right now. It almost made Cooper smile until he noticed he couldn't hear the old man's breathing. Cooper thought it was the pounding on the roof coming from the rain above them until he leaned in closer to listen.

Cooper stepped back staring at the still man on the bed until he hit a wall and fell against it. It went quiet. Really quiet. Cooper was frozen. He felt nothing at that moment. No emotion. No feeling. Nothing.

Then the memories of his grandmother flooded his mind. That day when she died to a disease no one knew how to cure. The feeling of being empty. Cooper felt tears fill his eyes and he let out a terrible scream falling face to the floor screaming and flailing around. "WHY WHY WHY WHY!" Cooper continued to scream letting the stream of tears flow from his eyes and onto the floor.

For five minutes he screamed and cried out to the world cursing it and everything else. Cooper heard yells from outside the house. He heard the front door being thrown open and multiple people running up the stair and to the room. He couldn't see who they were from the water blurring his eyes. He felt arms wrap around him and pull him into an embrace.

"Shh. Shh. It's alright. Well?" a woman asked.

"He's gone. From the looks of it by age," a male responded grimly. Cooper leaned into the person holding him losing himself to his emotions.

"It's okay little one. Go ahead and get it all out of your system," the woman said again rubbing Cooper's back, "Go get others and bring them here fast. I'm going to take him downstairs for a bit and wait for others to come and help." He heard the jogging down the stairs and out the door. "Come on little one. Let's go down stairs," the woman said helping Cooper up and out of the room. As they walked down the stairs only one word continued to repeat inside Cooper's head.

 _Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone…_

 **O O O**

Cooper walked quietly besides a stoutland who was the third elder of the village. It had been four days since his grandfather died and he had been staying in the third elder's house for the time being. They were walking down a road to what was supposed to be Cooper's new house. Though Cooper wasn't excited at all to be going. He had heard the elders talk about where to take him since he had no more family in Conter Valley. Unfortunately, the guardians they assigned him were known throughout the village to be quite mean. But they couldn't take him to an orphanage because there were none in Conter Valley since they never had one of these situations before. And they couldn't find anyone else that could or would take him. Conter Valley was full of large families. The family he was being taken to was the only small one that would take him. And by law the third elder couldn't adopt Cooper and become his guardian.

"Don't worry Cooper. The guardians there will take care of you even if they may not be the nicest people. They also have a daughter so at least you'll have someone to talk with. And from what I've heard she's worth more than diamond. Both in looks and personality. You'll be fine," the elder told Cooper trying to lift his mood. It didn't work. Even after his grandfather's funeral, Cooper still hadn't recovered from that moment when he couldn't hear his grandfather's breathing. It still haunted him. It felt like the world had finally taken away the last thing Cooper had loved. That it had finally broken him. "Ah. Here we are now. Ready Cooper?" the elder asked.

Cooper sighed before answering, "No…."

"Don't be like that. You'll be fine. Here we go," the elder said knocking on the door not giving Cooper a chance to retaliate.

Cooper heard steps coming from inside and then the twisting of the doorknob as the door opened up revealing a large umbreon. He looked at Cooper for a few seconds studying him before saying, "Welcome elder Mason. And I'm guessing you're Cooper am I right?" Cooper nodded in response refusing to let out a word. "Good. Well come on in. Let us treat you with something to eat before you go elder," Mr. Peters said moving out of the doorway to allow them in. Cooper walked in and examined his surroundings. The house was actually nice and well organized. To Cooper's left the Peters had a couch against the wall and in front of it were puzzles and board games. And to his right was a kitchen with a square table in the middle and atop the table was four round plates. Along the walls were shelves and on the shelves were paintings. One caught his eye in particular. A family picture of Mr. Peters and an espeon whom Cooper guessed was Mr. Peters' wife and between them was a shiny eevee. Elder Mason wasn't lying. She was a diamond to lay eyes on.

"No I can't I'm afraid. I have a meeting to attend and I'm already late. I must be going. But I bid you good day Mr. Peters and you as well Cooper," elder Mason said giving Cooper a quick nod of his head before walking back down the road.

Mr. Peters closed the door and then walked towards the stairs. "Come on then boy. Your room is up here," Mr. Peters said to Cooper walking up the stairs. Cooper followed him up the stairs and found three doors around him. The one across from him was colored pink with stickers of flowers covering it and big bright letters spelling "Ana". And from the crack of the door Cooper could see a face looking at him before pulling away out of his sight. "Your room is right here," Mr. Peters said moving to the door by the left of the stairs. He opened the room and inside was a bed against the wall and a small drawer next to it. Nothing else seemed to occupy the room besides a small note against the wall. Cooper walked over to it and read a list of chores. "That's what you'll be doing around the house in exchange for staying here," Mr. Peters said.

"That's a lot of chores though," Cooper responded still trying to figure out how he'll have time to anything else besides work.

"I don't want to here complaining. You should be grateful we're allowing you to stay here in the first place. So get used to it," Mr. Peters said harshly before walking out of the room.

Cooper looked back at his bed and sighed. He stepped onto the bed and laid down resting his head. _How am I going to get through this?_ Cooper thought closing his eyes to get some rest.

He wasn't given any time to rest, however, as a paw started patting him on the shoulder. He opened his left eye and found the shiny eevee from earlier crouched and staring at him with large bright eyes.

"Hi! My name's Ana! What's yours?" she said excitedly wagging her tail taking Cooper by surprise. This was the daughter of the Peters? A hyperactive, excited eevee?

"Cooper," he replied back still amazed by her excitement. Ana then grabbed his paw and started pulling him towards the door. "Hey! What are you doing?" Cooper said trying to get her to loosen her grip on his paw.

"Come on come on! Let's go outside. I want to show you something!" Ana said pulling Cooper's foreleg more. He matched his pace with hers so he wouldn't be dragged across the floor. She guided him outside and around the house to the back where Cooper saw a small garden. They stopped right in front of it and she sat down looking at it then looking back at him and asking, "Do you like it? I made it myself. One day I hope I can grow the biggest garden anyone has ever seen!" The garden was full of flowers and nothing else. Some he knew but most he had never seen before. It was gorgeous. It also smelled amazing.

"It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it," Cooper responded still looking at all the different kinds of flowers.

"Thanks! My parents are your guardians now right? Which makes you my big brother!" Ana said hugging Cooper tightly, "I don't have a brother but now I do and we're gonna be the best siblings ever!"

Cooper looked at the shiny eevee wrapped around him still yelling about how they were siblings. He smiled and hugged her back feeling happy again. Even after all that has happened there was still someone there to hug him and make him feel joy. _Family._ Cooper thought holding his new little sister. He had someone who was family. _Family._

 **O O O**

Cooper felt a paw on his shoulder gently shaking him. He mumbled and said, "Let me sleep… another few… minutes…."

"Wake up Cooper. It's Ana," Ana whispered in his ear.

 _Family. We'll be the best siblings ever._ Then Cooper remembered his paw going across Ana's face. His eyes shot open and he saw Ana standing in front of him staring at him. Cooper leaped away from her unexpectedly fast and slammed into the wall creating a loud thud that echoed throughout the cavern. He yelled as he hit the ground and pain yet again ran through his back just worse this time. He looked over in the direction where he was and saw a surprised Ana staring at him eyes wide and jaw dropped.

"Y-you just… how did you…" Ana said mumbling on a few words Cooper couldn't make out.

"Um. Well. I'm fast…. Really fast," Cooper replied lifting himself off the ground and shaking the rubble off his back.

"Fast? That wasn't just fast Coop. If I had blinked I would've missed you moving. How do you have that much speed? I don't see you running a lot…. How fast are you?," she asked curiously.

"I ran in a place a couple of miles east from here for a few weeks to test my speed as a jolteon and ended up going faster than I thought I could. And to answer your other question. Um. I think it was ninety-six miles per hour," Cooper responded.

"Ninety-six! That's world record Coop! You broke the world record! Why haven't you told anyone yet?" she asked yelling her question.

"I… I guess I just don't want to be known as the fastest or be famous. I was never interested in it," Cooper said while the thought of his hand slicing Ana's face came into mind. He shivered at the thought and remembered why he had moved so fast in the first place. He looked at the spot where he had scratched her face and somehow never noticed the bandages covering the spot since she got her. "Why are you here Ana? Aren't you mad? I… scratched you," Cooper said lowering his head and looking at the ground trying to shake the thought from his head.

"Cooper…" Ana said softly making her way over to him. He tried to step back only to be faced by the wall he had slammed into. He looked away ashamed of the idea of him scratching her. He suddenly felt a soft paw under his chin pull his head in the direction of hers. He was eye to eye with her. "It's alright. I'm not mad. I understand you were angry. It wasn't your fault. My father shouldn't have said the things he did. He had no place to say those things. Plus. It's hard for me to be mad at you," Ana said before closing her eyes and gently placing her mouth on his own. He closed his eyes as well and leaned in holding her kiss. Their tongues danced around each other as she deepened the kiss. How did she always find a way to calm him down.

When she pulled away from his maw she said, "Listen Cooper. I want to talk to you about something real quick." She walked over to the edge of the cave looking out upon the valley and took the bag off that was wrapped around her back and opened it up revealing some food and a blanket. She pulled the blanket out and laid it across the floor and then took the food out and placed it atop the blanket. "Come on. Sit down."

Cooper walked over to her and sat down on the blanket. "I actually got something to talk to you about as well. But you go first," Cooper said picking up a piece of bread and taking a bite out of it.

"Alright. Well. Since my parents and I are moving to the capital I just thought it would be best to… you know… stop this lovey dovey thingy," Ana said making Cooper look her way with wide eyes. He was going to respond but she quickly said, "That's not the only reason though! Cooper I see you as my big brother. As family. And it's kind of weird that after all these years we're dating. At first it felt fine. But then I get memories of us playing around as brother and sister. And then this relationship feels awkward. I just think we should be family instead of lovers. It feels right that way. I hope you're not angry."

Cooper was surprised but also glad at the same time. He wanted to say the same thing to her. All the memories of when he was sad at his grandparents deaths and how she would always cheer him up. And though he loved Ana a lot. He didn't want to be lovers with her. It felt too weird. Cooper perked up and said, "Actually. I wanted to say the same thing. I was having a dream about the day we first met before you woke me up a few minutes ago. I couldn't stop thinking about how you were family to me. And that I felt happy being your older brother. I didn't know if I would've ever have gotten the chance to tell you that or if I could say it in the first place."

"Really! That's great! I thought this was gonna be super hard to deal with," Ana said smiling and hugging Cooper at the same time. He hugged her back holding her in his arms. This felt right. Even if they weren't lovers anymore they were going to be the best siblings ever. And no one could take that away from them.

Cooper smiled still hugging her and then thought back to when she kissed him before laying down the blanket. He thought about it for a few minutes and couldn't figure out why she had done it. So he loosened up his hug and asked, "Wait. Why'd you kiss me then if you wanted to tell me that we're gonna go back to being family?"

"Even if it was awkward when we were dating Cooper. You still gave really good kisses," Ana said smugly.

"O-oh," Cooper said blushing. He grabbed the bread again taking a bite out of it looking outside of the cave and onto the valley. Ana giggled at his reaction and stared out to the valley as well. _I'm gonna be getting this a lot….Got to love family._

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 **Well. That's it for chapter 2. It's actually a lot longer than I had anticipated it to be. So I hope you enjoyed it and wait for the next chapter which I promise won't take two weeks to release. Again. Criticism is appreciated as it helps me improve upon my writing. Good day to you all and I'll see you next time.**


	4. Of Fire and Thunder

**CHAPTER 1 HAS HAD A MINOR CHANGE TO IT! IT SAYS ONE WEEK INSTEAD OF TWO WEEKS NOW!**

 **Good. Lord. This chapter took ages. I swear I'm getting better at making them longer. I think that's a good thing though. But anyways. I'm gonna make some announcements real quick. So the pokemon universe you are used is a bit different in my story. It will still hold on to the same principle of pokemon but some things are gonna be different. The world itself won't be the same. Mainly because I don't completely know everything about the areas of the pokemon universe like for example the Canto region and the other regions. I don't know too much about them all. But all of the gens are going to be apart of this world. But don't expect a lot of representatives from each gen. Size differences. I might change some of the pokemon sizes so they can make this story work in it's future. Now I'm not talking drastic changes like making the size of an onyx the size of a pichu. You'll just have to wait and see what I mean in the future of this story. Color pigments for shiny pokemon are as already stated don't follow the rules of your average shiny pokemon. So there can be from time to time a pokemon that had really weird colors. But not stupid ones don't worry. If you don't know what move or pokemon I'm talking about in the story. Look it up. I can't help you otherwise. As you may have seen in the past. Language is a thing. Very explicit language. And in the future lemons may also take place as I have already said in the past. I still don't know yet. Remember. I'm partially making this up as I go. So if I make mistakes here and there I might alter the story as well. But don't worry. I'll tell you ahead of time. But with all of that out of the way. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

 **Of Fire and Thunder**

* * *

After they talked and joked at memories of their past for ten minutes they decided it was time to head back. Ana wrapped the leftover food that they had not eaten and Cooper folded up the blanket while trying to find a good apology to tell Mr. Peters though it seemed impossible that he would accept it or even let Cooper near him. He already got in enough trouble after he made love to Ana during her first heat, which Cooper believed he was helping her, and got off barely with doing two times the chores in the house for a whole week. Cooper was paranoid that whole time and barely got any sleep fearing that one night he was going to wake up with a knife in his throat. This time Cooper believed there would be no way Mr. Peters would accept an apology. "Ana. How's your father?" Cooper asked painfully not wanting to remember how he acted and what he did only a couple of hours ago.

"You're always worrying so much. He's fine. You didn't leave any marks or anything. Maybe a few bruises but nothing too bad," Ana said reassuringly.

"I'm not talking about his injuries," he said back.

"Oh. Um. Well. Let's just say I'm glad I was there to calm him down even if it was just a bit. He considered… nevermind," Ana said stopping herself from saying those next few sentences which Cooper could only assume were death threats and other horrible things.

"I understand," Cooper said. Cooper finished tying the blanket and stored it in Ana's bag while she had finished wrapping the food together and was now storing in the bad as well. Ana threw the strap of the bag over her shoulder locking it in place before walking with Cooper out of the cave. As they carefully navigated down the mountain's slope an interesting thought came into Cooper's mind. "Wait. How did you even get out of the house?" Cooper asked curiously about how Mr. Peters would have let her out of his sight for one second after the incident.

Ana giggled before responding with, "It's a long story but we got time. After he calmed down a bit I told him I was gonna go get a bandage from upstairs to put on my face. And since they didn't follow me I was able to grab some food from my room and a blanket and sneak out the window. After that I had to ask around the village to see where you had run off to. But believe it or not nobody saw you go anywhere or even saw you running. I thought I was never gonna be able to find you until a rather odd thing happened. While I was asking around a strange lucario in a large coat of some kind called me over saying he saw where you went. Of course I was gonna ask him where it's just he was weird and I had never seen him in the village before. He pointed to a cave on the mountain that was rather high and told me that you had ran up the mountain and into that cave after leaving the house. I thought that was impossible considering how high it was and how fast you would have to go to get there in such a short amount of time. So I asked him if he was sure he saw you or if he was seeing things. He responded with the strangest and funniest thing I had ever heard. Alright hang on. Let me make his voice. Ahem. 'Young mistress. Listen well and heed my words. When the border is crossed and the valley burns. You must tell your mate that the forerunner is making his way towards the capital and that the harbinger holds the Spark. Listen to these words carefully as your decisions will shape the very fate of the future as we know it.' After that he just walked away acting like nothing had just happened. I didn't want to believe him about seeing you go up the mountain but it was the only lead I had about where you had gone. And what do you know you were there sound asleep. I guess you leaping away back there in the cave explains how you got up the mountain so fast. I still think what that lucario said was a little ridiculous though. Sounds like something out of a children's story."

"That is strange. Almost sounds familiar," Cooper said, "Hey Ana. Can you keep my speed a secret between us? I don't want anyone finding out about it," Cooper asked hoping she would say yes.

"You really don't want anyone knowing. Sure. I can keep it a secret as long as you promise me something," Ana said in the way she had always sounded when she was about to say something mischievous.

 _Oh boy. This should be good._ Cooper thought before reluctantly replying, "And that is?"

"That you have come visit me in the capital at least once a month," Ana said with a smirk on her face.

"But what if I can't. I might be really busy or something. And what about the trip? It'll take at least a week to get there and a week back. And that's assuming there's no holdup on the roads," Cooper said trying to think of how he would have time to the make trips to and from the capital and time to do anything else for that matter.

"Well I guess words gonna slip out of Cooper Verlidian. The fastest pokemon in the world," Ana said trying to contain her laughter while skipping ahead.

"But. That's not. Please tell me you're joking," Cooper said with a horrified expression thinking about how he would be the talk of the kingdom. He could see it now. Journalists, challengers, and the amount of visitors filling up the valley. It sounded like a nightmare that would never end until the day he died.

Ana burst out laughing falling to the ground holding her stomach. "Ha! You should've! You should've seen the look on your face! You were all like 'No Ana! Please don't tell anyone! I'm begging you! Don't tell anyone!' I'm never gonna forget this!" Ana said choking on her words from all the laughter.

Cooper stared at her intently. This was something she always did to annoy him. Make Cooper promise her something almost something really difficult and then laugh at him for it moments later. And yet. He always fell for it. "Why you…" Cooper said running towards Ana.

"Come on speedy! Try and catch me!" Ana said hopping on her feet. She started running down the hill still mocking Cooper the whole way as he chased after her. For a leafeon she was quite fast. Probably from all times they chased each other around. Cooper decided to try using a small portion of his speed so he could catch her. Luckily it worked and his pace kicked up majorly. What he didn't take into account was that they were still running down a mountain and not long after his speed was increased he tripped himself and went tumbling down the mountain. "Cooper!" Ana yelled as Cooper rolled past her. Cooper rolled down the mountain for what felt like a couple of minutes before he was finally able to grab the ground and stop himself from rolling any further.

"Cooper!" Ana said as she placed a paw him, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Cooper responded by grabbing her leg and pulling her down the mountain with him. "AAAAAHH!" Ana screamed as they started rolling down the mountain together. Cooper laughed the whole way as he held onto Ana making sure she wasn't able to get a grip on the ground to stop their descent.

It wasn't until they fell off a cliff that Cooper actually felt worried for their safety. At least until they fell into a lake. Cooper grabbed Ana's foreleg and pulled her up with him as he swam upwards. Once he reached the surface he swam with her to the shore and out of the lake. They both fell on the ground breathing heavily. "Well that was fun. What do you think?" Cooper asked. Ana started laughing and soon after so did Cooper. They laughed about it for a couple of minutes until Ana got up and took her drenched bag off and placed it on the ground. She opened it and pulled out a wet piece of bread.

"Well. It was certainly fun. But all the food appears to be soaked. I say we had a great time," Ana responded shaking herself to get most of the water off her fur. Cooper got up and shook himself as well to remove the water.

He looked around to see where they had fallen. He then saw his grandparents house only a couple of yards away. Of course. The lake he used to go to a lot with his grandparents. How could he have forgotten? He felt a sense of sorrow rush through him as he remembered the times his grandparents had taken him here. All gone now.

"Um. Ana. Let's leave this place," Cooper said walking away from the lake and towards the rest of the village. Even after fourteen years away from this place and fourteen years with Ana he still got haunted by the nightmares of his past. Sometimes he wouldn't even be able to sleep because of it.

"Why is there something wrong…. Oh. I see. Yeah let's go back and dry off," Ana said as she caught up with Cooper and walked besides him.

 **O O O**

"So where are we going Ana?" Cooper asked realizing they were walking blindly into the village after the long walk, "It's only twelve from what it looks like so school should still be in session. I might head there to see the school off and my teachers."

"You can go there after we go to my parents house. As much as they might not want to see you. We can't have them saying horrible things about you in the village or the capital. At least I don't want them saying things about you. And even if you don't want to you're gonna have to say sorry," Ana responded with a reassuring smile. Cooper flinched at the idea of trying to talk to Ana's parents. Cooper thought it was a terrible idea that would either get him attacked by Mr. Peters or make him want to talk more about how horrible of a person Cooper is. But Ana was right nonetheless. He had to try apologize for his mistake and try to make amends with Mr. Peters.

Cooper started to think of ways to apologize to Mr. Peters and what he would say to the old man. Multiple thoughts passed through his mind most of them being scrapped. Cooper kept on it until they reached the house. He stared at it for a few seconds hesitant on taking any more steps. Ana nudged him and walked over to the front door. Cooper took a deep breath and followed her to it.

"Ready?" Ana asked looking at Cooper.

Cooper took another deep breath before saying, "Hopefully."

She nodded and raised her paw to the door knob. She twisted it and opened the door to the house. Cooper checked inside and saw that Mr. and Mrs. Peters were not on the bottom floor. He knew not only because they weren't in sight but also because he could smell and hear them upstairs. Cooper walked in towards the table where he had assaulted Mr. Peters. He sat down in front of it preparing for the worst.

Ana walked upstairs giving one more sideways glance to Cooper and whispering so Cooper could barely make out the words, "Don't worry." But all Cooper could do was worry. It was going to get really ugly in a few minutes.

He waited patiently for Mr. Peters to burst down the stairs and start attack Cooper. But when the old man started making his way down the stairs. Cooper began to panic and again started to rehearse what he was going to say. Before he got the chance to think of anything though Mr. Peters was staring at him from down the steps of the stairs. Cooper stared back and waited for the scolding or beating.

Mr. Peters stared at him for a few more seconds before walking over to the couch against the wall and sitting down. He then said, "Come here son. Take a seat." Cooper flinched at the name and became confused. He expected Mr. Peters to be furious and throwing a fit at Cooper's presence. Instead he had called Cooper son which he had never done before. The only names Cooper ever got were his own and other harsher names. Cooper picked himself up from the table and walked over to the couch slowly. He sat to Mr. Peters right and waited patiently for the umbreon to say something. They sat there for a few minutes saying not a word to each other until Mr. Peters asked in a calming tone, "Do you like this house Cooper?"

Cooper became even more confused at Mr. Peters' tone wondering why he was so calm. Cooper thought about the question for a few seconds before replying with, "I don't hate it. It's actually pretty nice to be honest." The room fell silent again as they sat there.

"Do you regret it Cooper? Attacking me I mean?" Mr. Peters asked.

Cooper thought about it thinking of the reason he had attacked Mr. Peters in the first place. He did feel bad about it. But only a little bit. He was still angry that Mr. Peters was taking Ana to the capital away from him. But he did regret making things worse by attacking Mr. Peters. "Yeah. A little bit," Cooper answered.

"Do you understand why it was wrong for you to do that?" Mr. Peters asked. This felt like an interrogation and that Cooper was a suspect.

Cooper sighed before saying, "Yeah. But I also don't see the reason for you to take her away from her home here in Conter Valley. And I didn't find it necessary for you to talk harshly about my father and about me."

"You're right about your father. I had no right to talk about him the way I did. And for that I'm sorry for my actions. And for why I'm taking my family to the capital. We have family there that have invited us to come live with them. It would be rude and stupid not to except such a gracious invitation. Plus," Mr. Peters said chuckling, "I'm her father. I have the right to take her with me. Even you should understand that Cooper." Cooper was surprised quite a bit at Mr. Peters apology. He never apologized for anything to anybody most of the time. And most certainly never to Cooper. It took him off guard. But he was thankful nonetheless. As for Mr. Peters reason for taking Ana to the capital. He was right. He is Ana's father and Cooper should've expected this might've happened. "This also means that you and Ana can't be in a relationship. I understand you plan on living here like many of the other kids that are graduating as well. I hope you can agree with me that it's for the best that you two end this relationship," Mr. Peters said looking at Cooper intensely.

"First. Thank you for the apology. And second. Ana and I actually agreed already to stay as siblings instead of lovers while we were gone. And if I can. I would like to visit her in the capital at least once a month," Cooper asked hoping he wouldn't be denied his request even though he knew it would be tough to do himself.

"Good. That makes things easier for all of us. And if you would like to visit her then send a letter so we can alert the guards before paw to allow you in without a thorough search of your person and your belongings," Mr. Peters said. Cooper didn't expect the old man would grant him his request to see Ana.

"Thank you Mr. Peters. I have to ask though. Why aren't you mad about this morning? I thought you'd be furious to see me," Cooper asked curiously and carefully.

"I am. Or at least I was. What you did was wrong Cooper. At least you can see that even if you believe you had reasons to justify your actions. I just hope in the future you will think before you act. Lest you get into a fight that you might not be able to win or do something you might regret for the rest of your years. You're becoming a man now son. So act like one. One day there will be people who will need you to take care of them and you'll need to take responsibility. You'll need to be the man of the house do you understand?" Mr. Peters said seriously. Cooper was shocked by the amount of advice coming from Mr. Peters. It's sounded like something any father would tell their son before they sent them out into the world to build their life. Cooper felt a connection to this man for once. A feeling he never once had with Mr. Peters. And it wasn't one of happiness. It was the feeling of having a father that Cooper never had.

"I understand," Cooper replied.

Mr. Peters nodded before saying, "Then because me and my family are moving to the capital. I would like you to have this house. I hope that you can raise a family here like I did. This is my blessing to you Cooper as your guardian."

Cooper sat still lost in thought. Why was Mr. Peters doing all of this for him. It made no sense. Mr. Peters had always hated Cooper. They never had any good moments or any good times together. What he was doing was something Cooper never expected on their last days together. "Why now Mr. Peters? Of all times. Why now? You've always hated me. Always made me do all the chores around the house. So why are you now blessing me with your house?" Cooper asked.

"Why question it? I'm not the one who took care of the house. My wife didn't. And we both know that I wouldn't let Ana do it. You are the one that has cared for it. The one who has cleaned it every week of every year. The one who has kept it organized. I don't see any reason not to call it yours. And just so you know son. I've never hated you. Though by screwing my daughter you pushed that boundary pretty damn hard," Mr. Peters said laughing. Cooper laughed a bit at it as well. "That's probably the only time I've ever been close to hating you. But to be honest. Before Ana was born. My wife gave birth to a son first. It was the best day of our lives. The happiest moment for us. We lived with him for a year while we had Ana on the way in a couple of months. We were happy until some random… jolteon came to the valley and… and…" Mr. Peters started to cry. Cooper saw Mr. Peters shed tears for the first time in all of his years. "Until some random jolteon took my son away from us. My wife and I were buying food and our son had ran off on his own somewhere. It wasn't until one of the elders came to us and told us what had happened. Witnesses said it happened in broad daylight. A stranger from outside of the village was beating a child for no apparent reason. Some of the people tried to stop him. But he was too strong. And before more villagers could get there the jolteon had fled and the boy was beaten so badly he could barely be called alive anymore," Mr. Peters said bursting out in tears. "A few hours later he died from his injuries. It was one of the worst feelings I've ever had. It hurt so much. And to make matters worse the jolteon who had killed my son was never found." Cooper felt a sense of sadness overwhelm him. He too started to tear up. The old man's loss felt similar. It was the same feeling for when Cooper had lost his grandparents. Before Cooper had the chance to say something Mr. Peters said, "Cooper. That was his name. My sons name."

It all made sense now. Why Mr. Peters had never shown even a small sign of kindness to Cooper. Cooper was like a living reminder of Mr. Peters son. Not only did Cooper and Mr. Peters son share the same name. But Cooper had also acted like a big brother to Ana. And to add to the pain he was a jolteon. He had the same evolution as the killer of Mr. Peters' son. "I… I didn't know it… I didn't know it was this bad for me to be here. I didn't realize you were hurting this much due to me just being here. I'm sorry," Cooper said sharing the old man's pain and sorrow.

"You have nothing to be sorry for boy. It is my fault. I showed you anger and hate because I could not let go of my son's death. I treated you wrongly because you reminded me of him. And for the all of the years you've lived in this house I've wanted desperately for you to be both my son and not my son. I wanted to treat you like the son I lost and fix my family. But on the same token I just wanted you to disappear from my house and from my sight. But I couldn't choose. And because of it I've allowed you to stay here in my house and all you've gotten is pain from me. I'm sorry Cooper. I'm so so sorry. This has all been my fault. I just… I just don't want you to hate me before I go to the capital. I hope before my family goes that I could at least bless you with this house not as a guardian or a friend. But as a father who wants only the best for you," Mr. Peters said wiping the tears from his eyes.

Cooper felt multiple emotions run through him. Love, happiness, anger, sadness… family. Cooper placed a paw on the emotional umbreon and said, "I am grateful for the blessing Mr. Peters. I wouldn't ask for anything else."

"Please. You don't need to call me that. Call me Donnie," Donnie said smiling at Cooper. "One other thing Cooper. You may have noticed that Ana has never talked about her lost brother. That's because we never told her and we would like to keep it that way. She's an upbeat and hyperactive kid. We don't want to take that away from her. Please just keep it a secret between us," Donnie said seriously. Cooper thought that Ana should've been told and that keeping a secret that she had an older brother before she was born was wrong. But Donnie had already done so much for Cooper. So he decided to respect the old man's wishes and nodded. At that same moment Ana came down the stairs and looked at the two sitting on the couch.

She looked at them confused and asked, "What did I miss?"

Donnie stood got off the couch and said, "Nothing much sweetheart. Cooper and I just had good long conversation about letting him have the house."

"Wait. Really? You're letting Coop keep the house? That's…" Ana said trailing off.

"That's what Ana?" Donnie looking at Ana with glaring eyes.

"Um. Nothing," Ana said innocently.

"Uh-huh. Have you finished packing yet?" he asked.

"Almost. Mom needs you for something real quick," Ana said.

"Alright. Well say goodbye to Cooper for now. He still has to finish his last day of school. Don't worry. You'll get to see him a couple of more times before we go," Donnie told Ana before walking upstairs.

"So they're letting you keep the house? Isn't that awesome! What else did you guys talk about?" Ana asked excitedly.

"Well… other stuff like our relationship and when and how I can visit you in the capital," Cooper responded awkwardly.

"That's it? Really? You're hiding more aren't you?" Ana asked curiously giving Cooper one of her famous glares.

"Of course not. Why would I hide anything from you? Oh would you look at the time. I must me going before I miss the rest of school," Cooper said quickly running out of the door before Ana got a chance to grab him.

"Wait! Damn you Coo…" Ana said her voice trailing off in the distance.

 **O O O**

Cooper had managed to half the distance from him and the school in the distance and decided to pick up the pace to get there faster.

"Hey Cooper!" a man called out from Cooper's left.

Cooper turned and saw Marlin waving his hand from the market. "Hey Marlin! Um. I'm in a bit of a rush to get to school right now! Mind if we talk later?" Cooper asked.

"That's actually why I'm waving you down! It's the afternoon boy! Why are you so late?" Marlin asked back.

"I have no excuse really! Well! Maybe one! But I'll tell you later!" Cooper yelled towards the chesnaught as he continued to walk towards his school.

"Alrighty! Be good now!" Marlin said before walking back in his shop.

While he was walking he realized that he no longer had a date to the dance. That was both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because no one knew that Ana and him were dating to begin with. And when they were going to announce it at the dance it would be super awkward considering they were like brother and sister. Thankfully now there wouldn't be a situation like that since they stopped dating. This was also bad because Cooper was expected to attend the dance by many of the students. He could just skip it entirely but it would most likely get him bad reputation. He didn't want or need that. But he couldn't think of anyone to ask. Of course there were multiple girls in the school that wouldn't mind being asked to the dance by him except he didn't really like any of them. _So who then?_ Cooper thought.

He continued to think about it until something caught his eye. He looked between two houses to his right and saw an old lucario he didn't know wrapped in a hooded cape. This person looked familiar and Cooper swore he had seen him somewhere before. The lucario looked back at him and Cooper froze. The stranger stared at him for a few minutes before smiling. Cooper's body started to move on its own as he made his way over to the lucario. When Cooper approached the old man he was suddenly given back control over his movements.

"What a coincidence meeting you here Cooper. It's been a long time. You've grown quite a bit since last I saw I you. Tell me how has life been for you?" Vincent asked.

 _Vincent? But how do I know his…_ Cooper's thought trailed off as it hit him all at once. The day he found his grandfather died he met this lucario. How did he forget it so easily. Wait. This was also the lucario Ana talked to before she found Cooper. These weren't just random encounters. Vincent wanted to meet Cooper then and now. He had also talked to Ana who was practically Cooper's sister. Vincent had planned these meetings. What the hell did Vincent want with him? "Who are you? You clearly know who I am since we've apparently met by _coincidence_. And you've also talked to my sister as well. So that only supports my evidence that you're stalking me. What the do you want from me?" Cooper asked growling.

"Easy there buddy. I know you have some questions and you might feel that you're being stalked but I assure you all will be known given time. But for now I'm here to check up on how you're doing. So. How are you?" Vincent asked with a smile.

"ENOUGH OF THE BULLSHIT! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" Cooper shouted.

Vincent shifted in place and looked to the sky. For a minute he stared at it like he was searching for or waiting for something to happen. He then looked back at Cooper with a serious face. "Tell me Forerunner. Do you know what Gigavolt Havoc is?" Vincent asked.

Cooper felt something come over him as he heard the words Gigavolt Havoc. His body rattled and he felt a feeling of power go through him. It was the same feeling Cooper got when he had hit top speed a few weeks after his evolution. "Why did you call me forerunner? And what is Gigavolt Havoc?" Cooper asked feeling his body shake again at the words.

Vincent turned his head towards the sky again this time closing his eyes. "Today Verlidian. There will be a fated encounter between you and another. The encounter will set off a chain of events that will eventually lead to one of two futures. Which future that is to be will be decided by the choices you make. There will be five others you will meet that will help guide your path and turn you in the right direction. I cannot tell you anymore for now. Remember Cooper. Your decisions will shape the fate of the future. Be wise and strong," Vincent said as he started to walk away.

"Wait! I have more questions! You can't just lea…" Cooper lost the words in his mind as he felt a massive headache suddenly erupt in his head. It was one of the worst ones he had ever felt. He fell to the ground holding himself wishing it would just end. His wish was granted as the headache that had suddenly appeared from nowhere a few seconds ago suddenly faded from his mind. He got up and shook himself looking around. "What was I going to do again?" Cooper asked himself. "School! Shit I'll never make it to school in time!" Cooper said as he burst around the corner running.

When he turned the corner however. The school was much closer than Cooper had originally thought. He stopped in his tracks for a moment and looked behind him. He saw the market way off in the distance. He looked at the alley he had just come out of and realized it wasn't the same one he was in just a couple of minutes ago. _But how…_ Cooper thought confused. Maybe he was seeing things.

 _I'll ask those questions another time. School first._ Cooper thought as he sprinted lightly towards the school. It seemed he was going to make it in time but only for the last ten minutes or so of school which wasn't all that bad. Ten minutes was all he needed to find someone he liked to ask out to the dance. _But who?_ Cooper asked again in his head as he approached the entrance doors to the school. He opened them and walked inside. The school looked like what any average school looked like. There were lockers across the walls and between them were doors leading into classrooms. The floor was made out of tiles and the space in the hallways was large enough to let big crowds walk through with ease. Except now the hallways were decorated with posters colors of all sorts and confetti. _Looks like I missed most of the party._ Cooper thought as he walked down the halls to reach the gymnasium where most of the students were probably hanging out.

He had only managed to walk a couple of steps down the hallway before an alolan persian burst out one of the doors yelling, "Cooper! Where the hell have you been?"

 _Nathan._ The same Nathan from Cooper's childhood. He was probably one of the most annoying kids Cooper had ever met. No. He WAS the most annoying kid Cooper had ever met. "Hey Nathan. Um. Family business?" Cooper responded preparing for the obnoxiously large amount of yelling that was about to come his way.

"Like your sister and stuff? Or maybe your guardians? Or were you skipping? Or maybe it was-"

"NATHAN! Remember what I said about talking too much. Breathe man. Breathe," Cooper said trying to get Nathan to shut up.

"Oh yeah. Sorry. It's just the last day of school you know! I'm just really excited!" he said taking a couple of deep breaths to relax.

"Yeah yeah I know. Come on. Let's get to the gymnasium before we don't get a chance to talk with the others before school ends," Cooper said making his way down the hall with Nathan following closely behind.

"Sounds good! Hey! Speaking of school ending! Do you have a date to the dance yet?" Nathan asked. This was going to be a long talk. Whenever Nathan asked a question and it was answered by someone it would only lead to him asking more questions. But as much as Cooper never really liked to admit. Nathan was fun to have around even if he was annoying. He always had a smile on and would never, could never be brought down by insults or bullies. That was a trait that Cooper liked about him. Nathan inspired Cooper in many ways. One of those ways was when Cooper was still an eevee and he was still bullied in school. He had always hated it and sometimes thought about just quitting school. But seeing Nathan getting bullied and get back up with a smile on his beat up face inspired Cooper to keep going to school. And when Cooper evolved into a jolteon and gained popularity among his classmates. Nobody messed with Nathan no matter how annoying he was. It was Cooper's secret way of repaying Nathan for inspiring him not to give up no matter how badly he was brought down.

"No. That's why I came to school in the first place. I wouldn't of come if I had one already," Cooper replied as the two approached the doors to the gymnasium.

"Oh really?" Nathan asked mischievously.

"Yeeees. Why do you sound evil right now?" Cooper asked a little afraid.

Nathan pushed the open the doors to the gym revealing a massive crowd of people talking with each other. Nathan walked inside and Cooper followed closing the doors behind him. Nathan then turned around to Cooper and said, "Because me and another friend made a bet on you."

"A bet! Why and what bet?" Cooper asked scared of what Nathan had gotten him into now.

"So you know that flareon that nobody talks to? The shiny one. Well my friend said that if you asked her out today you wouldn't be able to survive dating her before the dance. I said that he was crazy if he believed you wouldn't be able to survive dating her before the dance. I then told him that since it wouldn't bother you at all even that you would even take her to the dance to prove it. So we made a bet on it and now you have to go ask her out to prove my friend wrong and so I can win the bet," Nathan said quickly.

"You. Did. What?" Cooper asked baffled. They made a bet for him to ask out the girl who talked to no one. Who barely ever spoke to anyone besides her teachers. How was he supposed to do this?

"So are you going to do it? Please do it! You can have a share of winnings if you last until the dance!" Nathan begged.

Cooper sighed. He needed a date anyways. And to be honest she was cute. _It's just for the dance. After that we'll see what happens._ Cooper thought before saying, "Fine. I'll do it. On one occasion. I want half of the winnings if I do it. Deal?"

"Deal! Oh this is going to be so good!" Nathan said excitedly.

"So do you know where she is right now?" Cooper asked looking around.

"She's sitting outside near the field," Nathan responded. "Good luck dude!"

"Yeah. Thanks I guess," Cooper said before walking towards doors that led to the field. He passed many other pokemon who waved at him and greeted him. He also dodged many girls trying to ask him out quickly telling them he couldn't talk or he was busy.

He finally reached the doors after cutting through the crowd of pokemon and opened them to the field. He looked out to the large field and in front of it sat a shiny flareon looking out into the distance. Cooper looked at her carefully and afterwards saw something he was blinded to before. "She's gorgeous…" Cooper whispered to himself as he admired her for a couple of minutes. The fur on her body was a shade of yellow-orange that made the sun glisten off of her. And her bushy main and tail had a golden color to them that made Cooper think he was staring at pure gold. He was left in shock at the overwhelming beauty she beheld. Cooper believed this girl could match the beauty of Ana even. _Maybe this won't be so bad._ Cooper thought as he slowly walked over to the still gleaming figure.

She seemed to have noticed Cooper's approach as she asked, "What do you want?"

"Um. Hi. My name's-"

"I know who you are. What do you want Cooper?" she asked.

"Well. Uh. What's your name?" Cooper asked embarrassingly. _Of course she knew._ Cooper thought cursing himself for asking a dumb question.

Not a word was said for a few seconds and Cooper thought she wasn't going to answer until she said, "Elise."

 _A pretty name too._ Cooper thought before saying, "Um. Hi Elise. I um. I wanted to know if you would like to go to out on a date?" It wasn't until Cooper had asked the question that he realized how stupid of an idea this was. They barely knew each other and here he was asking her out on a date six days before the dance. _She'll never say yes. This was a really stupid idea._ Cooper thought waiting for her to say no.

She turned to look at him and their eyes met. The world fell still. During this moment Cooper swore he heard the grinding of metal. He listened carefully but nothing came after. He believed he must've been hearing things. They held each other's gaze for what felt like ages but in reality was only a few seconds. Elise opened her mouth and said, "Sure. When and where?"

 _She said yes? Really?_ Cooper thought as he felt overjoyed at her response. He then thought of places to take her. Multiple ideas ran through his mind until he found one he liked. _Today's Thursday. So I could take her to the Golden Fields Sunday._ Cooper thought excitedly before asking, "How about the Golden Fields on Sunday at noon?"

She looked at him and then turned her head away. Before she was able to pull her face away from Cooper's sight though he saw a smile come onto her face. Not one of laughter. But one of joy. "That sounds nice. Sunday it is," Elise said softly.

"Great! Sunday it is. Um. I'll meet you there!" Cooper said happily. He was excited for this. He had just met this girl and yet here he was thrilled to be able to take her to the Golden Fields. He was going to make this perfect. He wouldn't screw it up. _I'll make this work. Nothing could go wrong from this._

* * *

 **See. Not another two weeks thankfully. And as I said before. I'm getting better at making these chapters longer. But I am proud of this chapter nonetheless. So I hope you enjoyed it and that you continue to follow this story. It makes my day to see people like something that I wrote. Remember. Reviews and criticism are appreciated. The very fate of this story may depend on them. All jokes aside. I'll see you next time guys.**

 **"Make the leap" - Nice Guy Wolf**


	5. Soulbound

**Yes. I know. It's Thursday. I know. I'm sorry. Forgive me for being human. Anyways. Got a lot of things to say. First of all. These things take time and lord knows. A lot and I mean A LOT of patience. First of all. I had a lot of school going on. I know. Retreating back to an old excuse. I also was on a family trip during the weekend. And to top it all off after I wrote chapter 4 the first time. I ended up scrapping it. ALL OF IT. If you want to know how much that hurts. Go into google docs. Set the font to Arial and font size to 11. And then write 6 pages of work. Not a lot of joy scrapping it completely. It sucked. Real bad. But her you go. There will be another chapter during this weekend. Yay. I also want you guys to know that I do read over these before posting to check for mistakes. So if you find a mistake than I happened to overlook something. PM me about it so I can fix my blindness. Now. I'm tired of writing. My hands hurt. And I want to sleep. So here you go. Chapter 4.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4:**

 **Soulbound**

* * *

 _You should hurry up lest you miss your date young one._ Sleepy warned Elise.

 _I know I know. I just need a few minutes more._ Elise thought back. This date had been the only thing on Elise's mind ever since Cooper had asked her to go to the Golden Fields with him. She had never dated anyone before and for good reason. Most of the boys in the school asked her out only for the reason that she was a shiny. She also never wanted attention in the first place. Elise had always kept to herself. She never had any friends beside Sleepy. And in reality, he was just a voice in her head. But he was her best and only friend nonetheless.

Elise didn't actually know who Sleepy really was. But he had been there since her birth. He was a voice that watched over and guided her the best he could. For the first couple of years Elise believed him to be an imaginary friend. But after time went on she learned that he was actually a real person. Just she didn't know which person he was and how he was talking in her mind. What made him even more mysterious was he never told her his real name. Whenever she asked he would respond with "The One Who Sleeps". At first she was persistent in learning his real name but eventually realized it didn't matter how much she asked. So she called him Sleepy. And he didn't mind it at all.

 _You've been preparing for the last hour walking around the house. You must be confident young one._ Sleepy said.

 _But what if I do something wrong? Or say something wrong or what if he doesn't like me for who I am?_ Elise said thinking about all the things that could go wrong.

 _You are too worried about what might happen and not about what will happen if you stall yourself in your house any longer young one. You must have confidence. If something goes astray just remember. I am here._ Sleepy said reassuringly.

 _Thank you Sleepy. I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes._ Elise said appreciative of his comfort.

 _Of course young one._ Sleepy replied.

"How much longer are you going to stay here pumpkin?" a leafeon asked her coming slowly down the stairs.

"Not much longer dad. I'm just checking how I look," Elise responded. Elise's father was the only family she knew. She never met her mother since she left Conter Valley right after Elise's birth for something she had to attend. Except she never came back. Her father has taken care of Elise all by himself since she was born. He never remarried anyone or loved anyone else. The only thing Elise knew about her mother was her name told to her by her father when she asked him. He told Elise that her mother's name was Fenna. He also told her that there was not another soul in the world that could match her. He told Elise that Fenna was the most caring and kindest person he had ever met and the most gorgeous sylveon that had ever lived. Sometimes he would tell Elise that he never deserved a woman like that.

"There's nothing to check Elise. No matter if your fur is messy or straightened you look beautiful," Elise's father said in a heartwarming tone.

 _Your father is right young one. Trust in his words._ Sleepy said.

Elise looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a shiny flareon staring back at her with a frown on her face. "Are you sure I look good?" Elise asked her father still frowning at herself.

He walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace. "I already told you that you're beautiful. Plus. Your date won't be there just for your looks. He's there for you and everything that you are. And if he's not then he is no man and does not deserve you," Elise's father said to her kissing her on the forehead.

Elise smiled and hugged him back saying, "Thanks dad."

"Of course pumpkin," Elise's father said back. "Now there are some things I want you to keep in mind before going on this date," he said pulling her out of the hug to look at her face. "I don't want you to be going to crazy on this date do you understand? It's just a date and nothing else for the moment. I don't want you to be coming back here pregnant or to be smelling of sex."

"WHAT! No! I wouldn't dare! I just met him dad!" Elise said trying to push the thought of it out of her head before Sleepy noticed. But she was too late.

 _Try to keep those thoughts out of your head young one. Especially on your date._ Sleepy said.

 _I didn't mean to I swear!_ Elise thought back trying to save herself from both Sleepy and her father.

"I know you do pumpkin. I just wanted to tell you one more time before you go," Elise's father said rubbing the top of her head. "Now listen. If you do end up getting into that situation on this date or in the near future. Legally you've matured enough to mate since you turned eighteen a few months ago. So if that is the path you wish to walk down. Than I won't stop you. But be cautious and confident that this boy is the right person for you. I don't want you ending up in a position that you cannot escape," he said smiling at her. "But that's enough babbling from me. And enough stalling for you. Get going before your late pumpkin."

"Okay. Thanks again dad," Elise said kissing him on the cheek before running to the door confidently after her father's pep talk.

"Good luck pumpkin. Enjoy the date!" Elise's father said one last time.

"I will. Bye dad," Elise said before opening the door and walking outside.

Elise took in all the scents that hit her instantly from the fresh air. She felt the breeze flow bye her. She listened to the quiet and peaceful valley. It looked like it was going to be a perfect day. But Elise spoke to soon as she looked up to check the weather and found the skies blocked by clouds. _It looks like it's going to rain today._ Elise thought wondering if it would be a problem during the date.

 _Do not worry yourself young one. The weather will clear up._ Sleepy said.

 _Really? How do you know?_ Elise asked curiously.

 _Trust me young one. The weather will get better._ Sleepy said. Elise wondered why Sleepy sounded so confident. _Do not worry your head any longer young one. You must be on your way for your date._

 _Yeah okay._ Elise said back still curious about what made him so confident. But as much as she was still curious. She did have a date to get to and she had no plans to be late. She started to follow the path from her house down the road to the Golden Fields.

Thankfully the fields wasn't that far away from her house. Not as far as Cooper's house was if her memory didn't fail her. So she didn't expect to see him there before her.

 _What do you think I should say first Sleepy?_ Elise asked Sleepy. She waited patiently as she continued to make her way down the path. But she was met with only silence. _Sleepy?_ Elise asked again. But again there was no answer. _Don't do this right now. Please?_ Elise begged.

There was only two times in Elise's life that Sleepy had not answered her. The first time was when her father had grown terribly ill when she was only four years old. The doctors said from the tests they had run on her father that he had only a few hours left. They told Elise it was a disease they had never seen before. And because it was new they had no known cure to fix it. Elise stayed with her father crying the hold time dreading the moment of his death. But somehow after another six hours had passed the doctors said that Elise's father was going to live. It was the best day of her life. The second time Sleepy hadn't responded was on the night of the great hurricane. When the world shook and thrashed and the skies were lit ablaze by thunder and lightning. She had tried to talk to Sleepy because she was afraid of the storm. But he never responded. It was until after the storm had passed that Sleepy had returned. But what Elise was really curious about was what Sleepy had said before the storm had began. **_Gigavolt Havo_ _c_**. When Elise asked him about what it meant. He would tell her that he was not the person to tell her it's meaning. When she asked who was to tell her. Sleepy told her that she would meet that person eventually. So instead of pushing it she scolded Sleepy for hours the next day accusing him of abandoning her to the storm.

Now he was doing it again and right before her date. Right before the first time she ever really talked to a boy besides her father and Sleepy. That was just her luck.

She continued to grumble about it and to call for Sleepy until the fields came into sight. She stopped to stare at the magical field of golden flowers. The Golden Fields was one of the most beautiful places if not the most beautiful place in the kingdom. It was the pride of the people of Conter Valley. The golden flowers that lay across the fields reached up to Elise's chest and glistened with a perfection that no other flower could match. Especially on days when the skies were cleared and the sun poured onto the fields. The flowers would give off a magical radiance nobody could describe. The flowers would bloom to perfection absorbing the sun's energy revealing a bright core inside the flower. Elise had visited the fields multiple times in her life. She always admired the beauty of the fields even if she had seem them plenty of times before. That's why Elise was so happy when Cooper had asked her to go to the fields with him.

She looked around for a tree to sit under so she could wait for Cooper to arrive. She found a large one right in front of the fields. She walked over to it and under its shade where she sat under it and stared out to the fields. Something she noticed quickly was the clear skies. She had only been walking for ten minutes and the skies must've cleared out during her walk. She saw the sun soaring high above beaming down to the fields. Elise looked at the flowers wondering if they had blossomed yet. When the sun gave off energy to the flowers it took ten to twenty minutes before they would fully bloomed. She looked at them and found they were still closed. Maybe they would bloom during her walk with Cooper.

She waited patiently for a few more minutes thinking about what she was going to say to Cooper until Sleepy had entered her thoughts again. _Young one. I want you to walk to the center of the fields._

Elise was alarmed by his sudden reentry and his random request. _Why? I have to wait for Cooper first._ Elise responded.

 _Trust me young one. Step into the fields. Cooper will come._ Sleepy requested again. Elise was hesitant on going without Cooper. She looked around to see if Cooper was anywhere in the distance. But to her disappointment he was nowhere in sight. She sighed and started to walk towards the center of the fields. She walked through the golden flowers letting them pass by and flow across her body. She took in the fresh scent of the nectar that lay in the flowers. She felt the wonderful heat of the sun fall on her back and head. When she had reached the center of the fields she sat on the ground letting the breeze flow through her fur. She felt relaxed and calm. She felt at home here. Elise closed her eyes and felt a smile come onto her face as she basked in the rays of the sun.

 _Good. Relax yourself young one. Let all your fears go. Let all your worries fade. Upon this day in these fields it will be just you and Cooper._ Sleepy said in a calming tone. Elise did exactly what he said. She sat in the fields feeling perfectly calm.

She sat there for a few minutes patiently and peacefully until she heard a voice from behind her say, "You really are beautiful…."

Elise turned around and saw Cooper staring at her wide eyed. She also noticed the fields had blossomed and that they were glistening around her. Here ear twitched and she felt a something laying on top of her head. "I think the flower looks good on you," Cooper said still staring at her.

"Flower…" Elise began to say as she lifted her paw to the top of her head and felt something soft there.

 _Enjoy your date young one._ Sleepy said.

She blushing realizing how she would look like from a distance a few minutes ago before saying to Cooper, "You really think it looks good?"

"Are you kidding? I thought my sister could never be matched in beauty. But taking a good look at you. I realized there was someone even more beautiful than her. And she's standing right in front of me," Cooper said smiling.

Elise blushed and looked at the flowers surrounding her. She looked up to the sun still floating in the clear sky. _Did you do all of this Sleepy?_ Elise asked seeing the pattern.

 _I already told you young one. These fields will belong to you and Cooper for today._ Sleepy said.

 _Thank you Sleepy._ Elise said.

"Thank you Cooper," Elise said smiling at him. He walked over to Elise and sat in front of her. They were the only two people in the fields. No other voice could be heard. No other person could be seen. It was just them.

Elise stared into Cooper's eyes as he stared back into hers. The world fell still. Elise felt a sensation come over her. She moved a forward a bit until she could feel Cooper's breath on her face. She stood only a few inches away from his face. She had no idea what came over her. She felt lost in Cooper's eyes. They had only just met and she already felt comfortable being so close to him. She closed her eyes and slowly moved her head forward. _What am I doing?_ Elise said softly in her mind as her maw connected with Cooper's. She pushed up against his body wanting to deepen the kiss. She felt her tongue dance with Cooper's between their mouths. She never knew what a kiss felt like. She never had one before. And now that she was kissing Cooper. She couldn't even begin to describe what this felt like.

Their kiss lasted a few more seconds before they finally let go of each other leaving a strand of hanging between both their mouths. Elise kept her eyes closed still lost in the feeling of the kiss. She pushed her head down to Cooper's neck and leaned against him.

"I've… never kissed anyone before. And I barely even know who you are…" Elise said feeling relaxed against his surprisingly soft mane.

"For a first timer. That was… really nice," Cooper said wrapping his foreleg around Elise's back holding her against him.

She remained against his body not wanting to leave his embrace. "Cooper. I want… I… I want to ask you something," Elise said feeling Cooper rub his foreleg up and down her back.

"Anything," Cooper responded.

Elise rested in his fur for a few more seconds before pulling out and looking him in the eyes. "I'm not that great around crowds. And to be honest with you… I really don't want to go to the dance," Elise said worried that Cooper might be upset about her decision.

He looked at her and smiled. He pulled her into another kiss which she willingly pressed against. It lasted for a second and then Cooper pulled out looking at her. "We don't have to go to the dance. I don't mind. If you want we can go to…" Cooper trailed off. "We can go somewhere else if you want. Maybe your place if you want."

Elise thought for moment looking down. Her father would be home the day of the dance. And to be honest she wanted to get to know Cooper better without her father being in the house. Then she thought of Cooper's place. She knew that the Peter's had moved out and left the house with Cooper. So he had the place all to himself. She thought of the idea and realized that they would be alone. In his house. A huge blush came over her face and she quickly threw her head into Cooper's chest hoping that he hadn't seen her blush.

"Hey. What's the matter?" Cooper asked worried.

 _Young one. If you choose that path. Your life will change drastically._ Sleepy warned.

 _I… I know. But… I've never felt anything like this before Sleepy. I don't understand how I can… love someone so much and barely know them. I feel relaxed around him. And I want to get to know him better. Plus… School is over for us. And everyone knows that after school we have to settle down somewhere. That we have to find a… a mate. I think. I think he's the one Sleepy. I don't know how I know but I do._ Elise said confidently.

 _I understand young one. If you feel ready for this. Than you must be confident in your decision and prepare for what lies ahead._ Sleepy said.

 _Thank you Sleepy._ Elise said gratefully.

Elise took a deep breath before asking, "Cooper. My dad will be at my house that day. And if I'm going to be honest with you. I want to spend more time with you. So… can we got to your house on Wednesday instead?"

Elise felt Cooper move slightly. Elise feared that she may have said something wrong. She waited about a minute still leaning into Cooper before he said, "Sure. We can go to my place on Wednesday instead."

Cooper lifted up her head so he could kiss her again. Elise lifted her paw and placed it gently upon Cooper's cheek holding him against her maw. Elise felt overwhelming emotions of love, happiness, and joy. She couldn't think of anything else but Cooper.

They continued to kiss each other while Elise heard Sleepy say in her mind. _Everything is going to change now._

* * *

 **It has been done. I'm sleepy. I'm tired gosh darn it. But I hope you guys enjoyed this. Remember. Reviews and criticism is always appreciated. Good night.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	6. Invasion

**I promised another chapter this weekend. And I shall deliver. You don't realized how hard I've been working on this chapter. It took most of the weekend. There was also an issue with fanfiction. I don't think I was the only one that got it. I'm pretty sure most of the users got it. So I'm really happy that I got to push this chapter out. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it. BEHOLD! CHAPTER 5!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5:**

 **Invasion**

* * *

Elise looked upon Conter Valley from her room. Today was the night of the senior dance. So Conter Valley was louder than usual. The senior dance was held every year to celebrate the change from children to adults. It was a big event that every senior was expected to attend. Juniors could come to but sophomores and freshmen had to have a date from either a junior or senior. But Elise had no plans to go to the dance. Even if it was one of the big events of the year.

"Elise! Come eat your dinner!" Elise's father yelled from downstairs.

"Coming! Just give me a few minutes!" Elise said back.

 _How do you plan to tell him young one?_ Sleepy asked.

 _I don't know. I'll figure it out._ Elise said back. Elise didn't know how to tell her father of her decision. Especially since they had a conversation about it right before she left the house for her date. _W_ _hat if he freaks out? I did tell him it was only a date and now here I am about to go to his house for the night._ Elise said panicking.

 _Your father is a very reasonable person young one. Do not forget that he said if you did end up doing this. He would support you._ Sleepy said reassuringly.

 _I know. I'm just worrying too much._ Elise said walking over to the mirror. She looked at herself and the flower that rested on her head. She reached up and adjusted it slightly. _Sleepy. Is this right? Everything went so fast._ Elise asked.

 _It's whatever you feel is right young one. What happened to you and Cooper doesn't happen a lot. But when it does. It either fails horribly or becomes something incredible. If you choose this path you will have to deal with one of these choices._ Sleepy said.

"Elise! Dinner!" Elise's father yelled again.

"Coming!" Elise yelled back as she walked to her door and opened it. As she did she took in the scent of one of her father's famous oran berry pies. She ran down the stairs and found a steamy pie on top of the table.

"Today is a special event so I made an oran berry pie for us to enjoy. Take a seat pumpkin," Elise's father said as he carried two plates and utensils to the table.

Elise walked to the table and sat down. She took one of the knives and cut out a small slice of the pie. She lifted it up and onto her plate. "Hey dad. I have something to tell you," Elise said taking a bite out of the pie.

"Is it about you and Cooper?" Elise's father asked.

"Yes. How did you know?" Elise asked curiously.

"I knew ever since you came back pumpkin. It's hard for you to hide stuff from me," Elise's father said.

Elise blushed at what her father had just said and looked down at her pie. _This all feels so weird._ Elise thought.

 _It's okay young one. Love is a very complicated thing._ Sleepy said.

"Listen to me Elise. I know you're not going to the dance tonight. I know you and Cooper have other plans. Just… just make sure this is what you want. I don't want you to end up in a terrible situation okay," Elise's father said.

"I understand dad. But I'm sure about this," Elise said confidently.

"I know Elise. I just want you to be happy. That's all," Elise's father said a tear rolling down his cheek. Elise picked up a napkin and wiped it off her father's face. He smiled and said, "Thank you pumpkin."

Elise heard a knocking on the door. _He's here young one._ Sleepy said.

"Looks like he's here. Go answer the door pumpkin. I want to talk to him real quick," Elise's father said. Elise got up and walked to the door. She took a deep breath and opened it. Cooper stood there looking at her.

"Hey Elise," Cooper said.

"Hi Cooper," Elise said before giving Cooper a quick kiss. "My dad would like to talk to you," Elise said opening the door more so Cooper could walk in.

He stepped inside and Elise was about to close the door until her father said, " Elise. I want to talk to Cooper alone for a few minutes. Why don't you step outside and wait for him," Elise's father said. Elise started to worry and frowned. He smiled and said, "Don't worry Elise. I'm just going to tell him some things real quick. Men things."

 _Listen to your father young one. This is common amongst fathers and their daughter's boyfriend._ Sleepy said.

 _Okay._ Elise said back walking outside and closing the door behind her. She stood outside patiently watching the lights in the valley flicker on illuminating the village. She looked towards the school where most of the light was coming from. The dance had already begun. _A lot of pokemon are going to be expecting Cooper at the dance tonight._ Elise thought knowing once everybody found out what was going on there would be a big commotion.

 _Indeed. But he chose you over the dance and the students young one._ Sleepy said.

Elise smiled. Elise didn't care about the dance. She was never really expected by anybody to attend it. And she never wanted to attend it in the first place. But Cooper was the talk of the school before the dance. He was expected by everybody to attend the dance. And yet he chose Elise over the dance. He gave up going to a very big event that he'd never get to go to again otherwise. She was grateful for that.

She waited a few more minutes before she heard the door behind her open up. She turned around and saw Cooper walk out while her father stood at the door. "Alright Elise. Come give your dad a hug before you go," Elise's father said.

"But Cooper's here," Elise said embarrassed.

"And you're not allowed to leave until I get a hug from my little baby girl," Elise's father said with a grin on his face. Elise blushed at the name. He never called Elise that. She quickly ran towards him and gave him a quick hug. When she pulled away and walked to Cooper's side her father said, "Love you pumpkin." Elise blushed harder as she and Cooper walked away.

"Your father seems nice pumpkin," Cooper teased.

Elise gently pushed him with her paw. He chuckled and nudged her side. "Don't worry. I won't call you that if you don't like it baby girl," Cooper said laughing out loud this time.

Elise looked down. _Thanks dad._ Elise thought trying to ignore Cooper's laughter.

 _I think it fits well young pumpkin._ Sleepy said chuckling.

 _Not you too Sleepy!_ Elise said annoyed.

"Hey don't be so down. I don't think it's all that bad. Plus. You're a very cute pumpkin," Cooper said gently biting her ear.

Elise leaned against him as they walked. "Thank you for this Cooper. I already told you I'm not good in big crowds. And I know us being lovers might ruin your reputation. So thank you," Elise said rubbing her head against Cooper's.

"I don't care about my reputation. It's annoying being popular so much of the time. And you mean more to me than the school and the students combined. Even if they end up hating me. I have you," Cooper said licking Elise's cheek. Elise smiled and turned her head to kiss Cooper. It lasted a few seconds until Elise pulled away.

 _Sleepy. Can you maybe give me and Cooper some privacy for the rest of the night? It would be really awkward with you around._ Elise asked.

 _Of course young one. I will leave you. If you need something then just call for me._ Sleepy said.

 _Thank you._ Elise said.

Elise and Cooper walked for another ten minutes not saying too much to each other besides exchanging words of love and short kisses here and there until they were right in front of Cooper's house. Elise looked at it for a few seconds thinking about what came next. What her future might be.

"Here we are. Are you sure about this Elise? We don't have to do this if you don't want to," Cooper asked.

"It's fine Cooper. You didn't go to the dance because of me. I'm not going to change my mind now," Elise said confidently.

"I didn't go to the dance because I loved you. That's not your fault Elise. Come on. Let's not delay any longer," Cooper said walking to the front door. Elise followed closely behind preparing herself for what came next.

Cooper opened the door to the house and moved out of the way so Elise could step in first. She walked into the lit up house and looked around her. The house was quite empty for its size. To her left was a couch with a short table in front of it and empty shelves on the wall. To her right she found a very empty and clean kitchen. The Peters must've owned a lot before they left if it was this empty now.

"Sorry about it being so barren. I haven't had much time to brighten up the place after the Peters left," Cooper said standing next to her. Elise looked around a bit more and thought of things that might be able to fill in the gaps. She started to imagine what the house could look like in the future if she brought stuff from her house.

"It's understandable. Maybe I can help make this place look better with some of my stuff," Elise said looking at Cooper.

Cooper smiled and kissed Elise. "That would be nice. But for now let's not worry about the house," Cooper said walking up the stairs. Elise followed him upstairs and to the room down the hallway. He opened the door and again moved out of the way so Elise could go in first. She walked into the bedroom and found a large bed against the back wall with a large window to her right and a nightstand to the left of the bed. She walked over to the bed and stepped onto it. She laid her head against the pillow.

She heard Cooper come onto the bed and lay in front of her so they were both looking at each other. Elise moved closer so they were only a few inches apart. She stared into his eyes as he did into hers. They were finally alone. No one was here but them. Not even Sleepy was here. Elise had nothing to fear.

She closed her eyes and moved her head forward until she came into contact with Cooper's maw. She felt her tongue dance around Cooper's just like their first kiss. She pushed her body against Cooper's and wrapped her forelegs around him. She felt his paws grab her rear and pull her over on top of him. She moved her paws up and wrapped them around his head holding his kiss. Tonight was going to be a long night.

 **O O O**

Elise's body ached when she woke up. She noticed her head was buried in something soft. She attempted to move her arms but was too tired to even move them.

Elise tried her best to remember what happened until it all hit her. A blanket covered most of her body up to right below her head. She moved her head slightly and felt fur. Her forelegs were tucked against her and Cooper had his forelegs wrapped around her. Something else she noticed right away was the sharp pain in the lower region of her body. _There goes my virginity._ Elise thought to herself. She decided it was best to just stay relaxed against Cooper. She pushed into his mane some more to relax her head.

She felt Cooper's body move slightly until Elise heard Cooper groan. "You awake Elise?" Cooper whispered still groaning as he rubbed Elise's back slowly and gently.

"Yeah. I've only been awake for a minute though. Not too long," Elise said in Cooper's fur. She rubbed her head against his mane feeling perfect in his embrace.

"Hmm. My body feels like it's burning. You must've set me on fire at one point last night," Cooper said jokingly.

"You were mating with a fire type. It's probably just the after effects honey," Elise said. _Honey?_ Elise thought of the nickname. She liked it.

"Probably. At least I was mating with a fire type that felt really good," Cooper said adjusting his body so he could hold Elise better.

"Glad you enjoyed it. It was a bit painful for me at first. But afterwards I enjoyed it as well," Elise said pulling her head out from Cooper's mane. The light coming from the window that lit up the room was the first thing she noticed. It was brighter than usual. She let her eyes adjust for a few seconds until she was finally able to lift her head up all the way and look into Cooper's eyes.

"Hey," Elise said smiling.

"Hey," Cooper said back before pulling her into a kiss. She was happy being with Cooper. She never had these feelings until she met Cooper. And now that she did. She loved it. She loved being with Cooper. She couldn't think of anything else that would tell her otherwise.

Elise and Cooper's kiss ended as they suddenly heard a knocking at the door.

"Why does someone have to be knocking on the door right now?" Cooper said starting to slowly get up.

Elise pulled him back down and sat on top of him. "You still have yet to fully recover. I'll go answer the door. Wait for me here," Elise said lovingly.

"I can't wait," Cooper said giving her a quick kiss.

She sat up and shook the blanket and the numbness off her body. She got off of Cooper and walked to the door opening it. She walked through the hallway and down the stairs. She heard the knocking again and said, "Hold on."

She walked to the door and unlocked it. When she opened it up she saw a delcatty standing in front of her. The stranger stared at Elise for a few seconds before saying, "So the rumors are true. Cooper is dating you."

"Yeah. So what about it?" Elise said wondering how the word got out already.

The stranger grinned mischievously before saying, "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet. I thought someone might have told you about it now as well."

"Told me what?" Elise asked curiously.

"Oh my dear. You've been used. Cooper never loved you. He simply was following up on a bet that his friend made to him," the strange said.

Elise felt a sense of dread come over her. "What bet?" Elise asked hesitantly.

"Cooper's friends made a bet to see if he could last a week dating you until the dance. It seems like he was able to survive dating you though. A little surprising," the delcatty said smirking.

Elise felt like a statue. She couldn't move her mouth. _A bet…. It was all a bet._ Elise thought painfully. All the feelings of love and happiness she had disappeared. She felt a great feeling of despair and pain take over her.

Elise heard pawsteps coming down the stairs. "Hey Elise. What's taking so long?" Cooper asked.

Elise felt anger take over her as she spun around quickly and yelled, "A BET! IT WAS A FUCKING BET! I LOVED YOU DAMN IT! I LOVED YOU AND YOU FUCKING USED ME! FUCK YOU COOPER VERLIDIAN! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Elise turned around and burst past the delcatty standing in the door running as fast as she could away from the house.

She ran as fast as her legs could take her. _SLEEPY! SLEEPY PLEASE ANSWER ME!_ Elise yelled in her mind.

It was a few seconds until she finally heard Sleepy. _What is it young one? What happened?_

 _HE USED ME SLEEPY! HIS FRIENDS MADE A BET FOR HIM TO DATE ME UNTIL THE DANCE! HE FUCKING USED ME!_ Elise yelled in her mind feeling water fill up her eyes.

 _Calm down young one. Get to your father as fast as possible!_ Sleepy said.

Elise had already ran most of the way and the house had come into sight. She picked up her pace. She remembered everything she had done with Cooper. She remembered how she kissed him in the fields. She remembered how she walked down the streets with him exchanging words of love and kisses. She remembered how she made love with him. All of it was a lie.

When she reached the house she threw the door open. Her father was already up and turned around quickly. "Elise! What's wro-" Elise's father wasn't able to finish as she slammed against him bursting out in tears.

"HE USED ME DAD! HE MADE A BET ON MY LOVE AND USED ME FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL GAIN!" Elise said crying into her father's neck.

"Shh. It's okay Elise. Let it out. Shh," Elise's father said cradling her.

 _It's okay young one._ Sleepy said reassuringly.

Elise felt like she had been crying for hours in her father's embrace. The one time she felt loved by someone else other than her father she was used. Elise couldn't contain herself. Why of all people did it have to be her.

Elise started to relax herself. She sat in her father's forelegs breathing heavily. She felt better than before but she was still filled with an overwhelming amount of sorrow.

Before she got to say anything to her father she heard a loud explosion come from outside. She stood still and listened carefully until another loud explosion went off.

 _ELISE! GET OUT OF THE VALLEY NOW!_ Sleepy roared in her mind.

 _What? But wh-_

 _DAMN IT DO NOT ARGUE WITH ME GIRL! TAKE YOUR FATHER AND GET OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW!_ Sleepy yelled louder making Elise's head hurt.

"What's going on out there?" Elise's father asked.

"Dad! We have to go now!" Elise said getting up. She grabbed her father's foreleg and pulled him up as well.

"What do you mean?" Elise's father said steadying himself.

"I don't have time to explain dad. There's a person talking to me in my head. He told me we need to go now!" Elise said.

Elise's father face became serious as he said, "I understand. Grab anything of value and let's go." Elise was surprised at her father's reaction. She thought he would be calling her crazy but instead he was going around the house packing pictures and other things in a bag. Elise would have to ask him about it later. She ran up the stairs and grabbed pictures and other valuable things to her and placed them in a bag. She ran down the stairs as fast as she could and ran to her father's side at the front door.

"Okay listen to me carefully Elise. You stay by my side no matter what. Do not stray off. And most importantly. If you see some kind of brown, disfigured looking pokemon tell me. This is very important do you understand me?" Elise's father said seriously.

Elise was so confused. She wanted to know what he was talking about but she knew the situation was bad. So she instead said, "I understand." He nodded and ran through the door with Elise close behind.

As Elise ran outside all she could smell was fire and smoke. She looked at Conter Valley as she ran. It was in flames. Buildings were destroyed. Ground cracked and broken. She heard the screams and cries of pokemon all over the valley. _Sleepy. What's going on?_ Elise asked afraid.

 _The Scourge! They've invaded the valley!_ Sleepy said growling.

 _But what about the predictions? They weren't supposed to invade for another year!_ Elise said running with her father down streets of destroyed buildings.

 _The Scourge don't care how many they lose! The predictions were a way of keeping the people stable. But no one can truly understand the Scourge's movements or intentions! Especially with Ruan leading them!_ Sleepy said.

 _Who is Ruan?_ Elise asked.

 _Not now girl! There's too many of them! Damn it all!_ _ **GIGAVOLT HAVOC!**_ Sleepy yelled in Elise's mind.

All of a sudden the ground shook violently making both Elise and her father fall. The sky crackled and roared as lightning streaked across the mountains creating massive explosions. The mountains shook as lightning ran down them and throughout the valley. Elise watched as the bolts circled through the valley. _What is this…_ Elise thought in shock.

"ELISE! Get up Elise! We have to go!" Elise's father yelled picking her up.

"Wait! What if there are other people injured? We need to help them!" Elise said.

"No! You can't risk your life for others! You're too important!" Elise's father said pulling her foreleg.

"What do you mean?" Elise asked.

Before her father got the chance to respond they Elise heard a loud roar come from behind her. She turned around and saw a large brown creature running towards her. But as the monster got closer it looked like a garchomp. Before it reached Elise her father grabbed her and threw her in the other direction. The beast impacted against Elise's father sending him flying.

"DAD!" Elise yelled. She was about to run to him until he stood up with a light green aura around him. Flowers suddenly started appearing around him and kept expanding. The disfigured garchomp dashed towards Elise's father. But before it was able to reach him an explosion went off where the flowers were.

Elise looked away from the bright light until it ended. She turned around and saw her father standing in a crater. She started to run to him. As she got closer she noticed his right foreleg was missing and he was bleeding badly from his side. He collapsed to the ground. "DAD!" Elise cried as she reached her dad. She lowered herself down to his head.

He looked at Elise and smiled. "Hey pumpkin. Don't worry about me. You have to go," he said coughing.

"I can't leave you here!" Elise said crying.

"You have to. More are coming. You are too important to lose. Both because you play a big part in the survival of this world. And because you are my daughter. I cannot see you hurt," he said coughing again.

"NO! I don't care about the survival of this world! I don't want you to die!" Elise said holding her father.

"HEY! THERE'S SOMEBODY OVER HERE!" a voice yelled from behind her. She heard pawsteps behind her. She looked to her left and saw an absol sit beside her. He placed his paw on Elise's father's neck. His expression turned to one of sadness. "There's nothing we can do for him. You have to come with us before more get here," the stranger said pulling Elise's foreleg.

"NO! I'm staying with him!" Elise said yanking her arm back to her father. She heard more movement behind her. She also heard a roar in the distance.

"Alan we don't have time! We have to go!" a female voice said behind Elise.

"Yeah I know. Tyler," Alan said quickly.

Elise felt a wing placed on her head and heard a person behind her say, "Sorry about this."

Elise felt herself rapidly grow tired and began to fall until Alan caught her. Darkness engulfed her vision. The last thing she saw before falling asleep was her father.

 _Dad…_

* * *

 **So there it is. I actually quite a bit of fun writing this chapter. And to be honest with you. I thought about going into description about Cooper and Elise's fun... time... I think. Attempted it even. But no. And I'm sorry to say there will be no such things in the future. Surry. That's just how it is. But anyways. I hope you guys enjoyed. Reviews and criticism are appreciated. They help me become better even if they are harsh. But I'll see you guys later.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	7. Arthur Drachen

**Hey guys. Sorry about the wait. I decided to take a break. I needed time to think. And what better time than thanksgiving... and another week. So I took a three week hiatus as I'm sure you're all aware.**

 **So with that. Let's get to some other things. I'm a beta reader! I'll gladly be excepting any requests to beta read stories. But first I want you to look through my resume. Aka the red B above my profile picture. It'll tell you the requirements to be met and what things I'll beta read. So that's cool and all. **

**Also. I hate leaving you guys in the dark like I did for these last three weeks. I don't want you to think that I'm abandoning this story. So I'll be updating my bio in my profile with a note for any and all updates on how things are. Won't be daily. But make sure to check that if something like this happens again. And if you have any further questions. PM me. I'll respond as soon as I can. I'm a busy guy.**

 **Anyways. Enough talk... from me. To the long awaited chapter 6. Please. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:**

 **Arthur Drachen**

* * *

 **Three days after the invasion...**

Arthur strode down the crystal white halls of the palace in no rush to reach the dining hall. The twenty-one year old arcanine was only four months away from his coronation and he had been going through countless training sessions with the captain of the royal guard and even more lectures from his mentor on how to be a good king. Yet Arthur had never wanted to be a king. The idea of being responsible for a kingdom and all of its residents made Arthur shiver every time he thought about it. Sometimes Arthur wished he had never been born into the royal family or just into his family in general. Than his life would've been a lot easier.

"Master Arthur! Please wait up!" a voice shouted from behind Arthur. Arthur continued to walk at the same pace hoping to reach the dining hall before his maid caught up. Unfortunately Arthur's maid was a mienshao so she caught up quickly. "Master Arthur. We have to review your duties for today. Your father requested it," Arthur's maid said breathing heavily.

Arthur had never liked maids or servants. In fact he hated them and often treated them badly. But he was crueler to this one than the other ones. Belle Eston was her full name and she was assigned to Arthur on his fifteenth birthday. To Arthur she was an itch that would never stop. She followed him everywhere as his most loyal maid and always tried to help him even if he didn't want it. Arthur didn't know much else about her nor did he care to.

"I don't care what that old man wants," Arthur said quickly growing annoyed.

"But you have to. It's your responsibility as the next king. Here I'll just let you see the paper while I go over-" Belle attempted to say before Arthur quickly whipped around and tore the paper out of the twenty-four year old's hands.

"I said I don't care! Get out of my sight!" Arthur barked at her harshly.

She stood still in shock. Arthur saw tears form in her eyes as she bowed to him and said, "Of course your majesty," before walking away quickly.

Arthur turned around and again continued to make his way down the hall. Arthur saw the doors to the dining hall open. _Great._ He reached the door and walked inside and to no surprise his family was already sitting at the table.

He saw his father, another arcanine, look towards Arthur with a stern expression. His mother, a ninetales sat beside him eating. They sat at the head of the long table while Arthur's sister, Shyann, an alolan ninetales, sat elegantly to the right of his parents. He walked over to the table and sat across from his sister.

"Your late again boy," Arthur's father said taking a sip of his soup.

"Ask if I care," Arthur said back to his father. He saw his sister twitch from that. His father quickly glanced at Arthur before taking another sip of his soup.

"Did you review your duties with Miss Eston?" Arthur's father asked.

"I didn't see any reason to," Arthur said lifting up a piece of bluk berry bread.

"Put it down," Arthur's father demanded.

"Why?" Arthur asked back.

"Because I'm your father and your king. Put the bread down now," the arcanine said looking at Arthur with a serious expression. Arthur set down the bread and waited impatiently for his father to speak. "Three months," Arthur's father said.

Shyann looked at Arthur then at their father. Arthur thought his father was talking about the coronation. But that was four months away. Not five. "It's four months. I guess old age is finally settling in," Arthur said mockingly.

"No. Three months," Arthur's father said again.

"Four months. I think you should be reviewing your facts instead of me," Arthur said harshly.

"Your coronation is in four months boy. My death is in three," Arthur's father said taking another sip of his soup. Arthur stared at his father feeling lost in thought. Arthur's father looked back at him and then looked back at his food and chuckled. "What's the matter boy? Hmm? You felt like talking so much a few minutes ago and now you look a bit blue," Arthur's father said taking a sip of his soup again.

"How? I thought the doctors said they could cure your illness," Shyann asked.

"Yes. 'Thought'. But they recently found that this is no illness. It's something else they can't explain. I asked them how much time I have. They told me if I am lucky. Around four months. But it's looking more like three months," the old man said. "Don't worry boy. I'll be out of you fur soon enough. Won't have a father annoying you anymore," he said looking at Arthur.

Arthur looked away and sat quietly. He knew his father was going to die someday. But so soon. _Why should I care?_ Arthur thought to himself. "Good. At least I won't have someone barking down my neck every second," Arthur said harshly.

"Arthur Drachen how dare you! That's your father you're speaking to! Apologize now!" Arthur's mother demanded.

"No no sweetie. It's fine. The boy is right. He'll be running a kingdom. It would be good if he didn't have any distractions. I'd only be getting in his way. Right?" Arthur's father said staring at him.

"Yeah. You would," Arthur said back.

"That is enough out of you Arthur! Go to your room now!" Arthur's mother demanded.

"I'm twenty-one now! You can't tell me what to do anymore! Screw this!" Arthur yelled getting up, "I'm going out! I hope you die sooner you old fool!" Arthur ran out of the dining hall and down the halls past servants and maids who moved out of the way. He continued to run until he was out of the palace. Arthur found himself in the gardens. The sun was bright and the skies were clear. The air felt warmer than usual.

He looked around for the best route to the town. He looked down a path that led straight into town. He ran down the path as fast as he could feeling tears fill up his eyes. He reached the entrance to the gardens and ran out into the streets and between the houses. He ran through the alleys of the town towards the inner walls of the kingdom.

Arthur ran for ten minutes until he finally reached the inner walls. He walked out of the alleyway and into the streets. Arthur didn't come out of the castle often. He never liked anyone. He never had any friends nor did he want any. For most of the people in the kingdom the feeling was mutual. Nobody dare say anything about him to his face or to his parents. But outside of that talk and hate towards Arthur was prominent.

Unfortunately people had already noticed him and were looking his way. Some faces of disgust. Others were plain and decided to continue on with their business. Arthur began to walk down the streets hoping to get his mind off his father. _Why should I care?_ Arthur thought again.

Arthur felt his stomach rumble. He quickly remembered he had not eaten anything before he ran out of the castle. He looked around for a shop and found one standing out from the others. The store was built out of light pink wood leading Arthur to believe it was Pink Ivory. What also caught him by surprise was the plethora of flowers that coated the store.

He walked over to it curiously and took a look inside. From what Arthur could see, the shop sold flowers, food, souvenirs, and other interesting things. Arthur opened the door to the shop and walked in. Arthur immediately noticed the shop smelled like a mixture of flowers and foods. He walked around and traced the walls of flowers. There were so many kinds. Even some Arthur couldn't identify himself. He continued to look at the flowers until one in particular caught his eye. He saw a glowing golden flower outside of a window that had a bright white core on the inside. He walked over to it to get a closer look. Arthur had no idea what it was. But it held a magical feeling to it that he couldn't quite wrap his paw around.

He stared at it for a few seconds more until a voice behind him said, "We call it the golden flower." Arthur turned around and saw a pink leafeon walking towards him. "Mostly because we don't know it's real name. But also for the fact that it glows like the sun. Pretty isn't it?" the girl said standing next to Arthur.

The flower wasn't what Arthur found pretty. He stared at the gorgeous pink leafeon that stood next to him. Arthur had never seen anyone so pretty before. _Where did you come from?_ Arthur thought. If she had been in this kingdom for a while now he would've known from his sister. So she must've come from outside of the kingdom. But where?

She turned to him and smiled before saying, "Hi. My name is Ana. I'm new to this whole kingdom thing. I come from Conter Valley. I'm used to knowing everybody. But now I don't know anybody. Hey. I got an idea. How about you be the first I get to know? What's your name?" Ana asked enthusiastically.

 _Conter Valley? That's miles away. No wonder she doesn't know who I am. Those people are secluded from everything nowadays._ Arthur thought. "You just met me. I'm a completely random stranger who showed up to this store as a customer. And I came here to get something to eat. Not to talk to someone from the 'prideful' residents of Conter Valley," Arthur said back walking to where the food was.

"Yeah I know. We're quite the prideful and arrogant bunch. I can't deny that. But we're prideful and arrogant together as one big family," Ana said walking behind Arthur. "I also don't think it's all that weird to talk to new people. Otherwise how would we meet new friends?"

What's with this girl? Even after Arthur tried to insult her so she would leave him alone. She persisted completely unaffected. "I don't know. I don't care," Arthur said looking at some of the foods that were in front of him.

"You're a grumpy one? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I know I did. I'm still tired. I usually get seventeen hours of sleep in Conter Valley. But the sun rises earlier here. Much earlier. I'm still trying to get used to it," Ana said yawning.

Now that did get Arthur's attention. _Seventeen hours?! That's absurd._ Arthur thought wishing he got that many hours of sleep. "Maybe you should go back to bed then. It would be better for both of us," Arthur said back still trying to figure out which food to choose.

"I recommend the oran berry pie. It's one of Conter Valley's best meals," Ana said walking behind the counter.

Arthur knew she had to be some kind of employee of the store. But why was she running it by herself. She didn't even look that old. _Wait. How old is she?_ Arthur thought curiously. "How old are you?" he asked.

"Why do you ask?" Ana asked back while cutting a slice of the pie.

"You look young. And right now you're running this store by yourself," Arthur said.

"Seventeen," Ana responded placing the peace of pie on a plate.

 _Seventeen?!_ Arthur thought in shock. He knew she was young. But that young and already so beautiful. "So you're seventeen and running the store by yourself. Aren't you a little young to be running a store by yourself?" Arthur asked.

"I don't think so. In Conter Valley a kid can help run a shop by the age of fourteen. Plus. I'm just holding down the fort until my aunt gets back," she replied.

"What about your parents?" Arthur asked.

"They've gone out to talk to a count about enlisting as citizens within the inner walls of the kingdom. I don't know when they'll get back," Ana said handing the piece of pie to Arthur. He took it from her and took a small bite. It tasted amazing. He took another large bite out of it. Ana giggled and said, "I thought you might like that one. Everyone does."

"Hmm," was his only response as he continued to eat it.

"Oh. Crap. Uh. That costs money. I forgot. We don't usually use money in Conter Valley. Um. Do you have payment?" Ana asked looking at him.

"You don't use money in Conter Valley?! How?" Arthur asked in disbelief.

"We just have a lot of food for everybody. And the only thing that costs money is houses. And even then they cost ten times less than what they cost here," Ana said.

Arthur was about to say something back to her until he heard a familiar voice coming from outside getting closer.

"And that should be all the arrangements. If you ever need anything else you just come ask me," said Counselor Brandon.

"Thanks again for all the help counselor. We would like to treat you to one our pies for being so nice," a new voice said back. Arthur turned around and saw three people walk in: an umbreon, an espeon, and a slowking.

"Oh I would love to. I've heard a great many things about…" Counselor Brandon trailed off as he immediately noticed Arthur. "Prince Arthur! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be going through fighting lessons with Master Henry?" Brandon asked.

"Prince?!" Ana said behind Arthur surprised. Arthur noticed the umbreon and espeon gasp before bowing. He turned around and found Ana bowing as well. "Um. Don't worry about payment. It's free," Ana said still bowing.

Arthur quickly grew annoyed again. _Damn you Brandon._ Arthur thought before cursing quietly. "Stop bowing! Now!" Arthur demanded. Ana sat up but remained silent with a plain expression. _Just like everyone else…_ Arthur thought agitated. "I skipped. Didn't feel like it today," Arthur said feeling his anger build up again. _Why'd you have to ruin this Brandon?_ Arthur thought wishing he could hear Ana talk about Conter Valley again. About anything really.

"Your coronation is months away. You must not be skipping your sessions with your teachers," Brandon said in a worried tone.

"Fine. I'll go to Master Henry but only if you pay the girl three times the cost of the pie I ate," Arthur said walking towards the door. Brandon pulled out some gold coins and held them towards the umbreon. "I said the girl Counselor," Arthur said getting in between the umbreon and the slowking.

"They are the parents of the girl my prince. It's still going to the shop," Brandon said confused.

Arthur gave the counselor a serious expression and said, "Did I say something wrong counselor? I'm pretty sure I said the girl. Now." Brandon's expression changed from confused to surprised.

"Of course my prince," Brandon said before walking over to Ana.

Arthur walked out the door and into the streets. He took a deep breath and began making the long walk back to the castle. He still got looks of disgust as he walked by other people. But he didn't care. The only thing he was thinking about was that girl. She was so nice to him even when he responded back harshly until she found out he was the prince. It annoyed him. _Why do I care?_ Arthur thought picking up his pace to try and push the girl out of his mind. But even though he tried. He only thought about her the whole way back. He sighed. _I'll visit her tomorrow._ Arthur thought. _Ana…. A pretty name._

* * *

 **And there you have it. After a long time chapter 6 is finally done. This didn't take nearly as long and wasn't nearly as long as the other chapters. But I feel I accomplished what I wanted to say for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it and I hope you're still with me (I'm surry ;^;).**

 **But anyways. Criticism and reviews are appreciated as always. I'll see you next time!**

 _"Make the_ leap" - Nice Guy Wolf


	8. Reap what you sow

**Hello again my friends. This chapter came out rather quickly. I didn't expect to get it pushed out so close to the previous chapter. Especially on a Thursday.**

 **So with that in mind. I plan on releasing another chapter this weekend. Yay.**

 **Another thing to note. This chapter is rather short like the previous one. But yet again. I feel I got my point across.**

 **So without further ado. Chapter 7! Bon appetit!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7:**

 **Reap what you sow**

* * *

Arthur laid in his bed still exhausted and sore from the day before. After getting back to the castle. Master Henry trained Arthur beyond his body's limit for skipping his session. Something Arthur kept grumbling about afterwards. And to make matters worse he had to deal with his mother lecturing and barking at him about both his father and his coronation.

Arthur stared at the curtains that blocked the sun's bright light from entering his room. Today Arthur had to deal with one of Master Brandon's lectures. Something he feared he wouldn't be able to stay awake through after yesterday's beating. And if he managed to survive that. Maybe he could visit that leafeon. _Ana._ Arthur thought. He remembered how he she went from talking nonstop to not talking at all after finding out about who Arthur was. It annoyed him so much and he wondered if she would talk to him the same way after that.

Arthur heard the doors to his room open and heard pawsteps move towards him. "Master Arthur. It's time to wake up," Belle said coming into Arthur's sight.

"Hmm," was Arthur's only response. He noticed she was carrying a cup which she placed on the table next to Arthur. She walked over to the curtains. "Don't open those wind- AHH" Arthur shrieked pulling his blanket over his eyes. "Damn you I said to not open those windows!" Arthur said feeling pain fill his eyes.

"It's ten your majesty. You should've been awake two hours ago. I brought you some tea to help with your soreness from yesterday. It has lum berry juice in it," Belle said.

Arthur growled at the mention of his suffering. He pulled the blanket back down and opened his eyes. It took him a few minutes to adjust to the pain but eventually he was able to see his surroundings. He saw Belle sweeping the floors slowly with a depressed expression. He looked to the table next to him and found the cup of tea. He reached over and grabbed the tea. He took a sip of it and noticed it was hotter than usual which softened his attitude. It also tasted really good. He downed the whole drink in one go and placed the cup back on the table. "It's good… thank you," Arthur said laying his head back on his pillow to let the tea take effect.

Belle looked at him with a surprised look and said, "Your… welcome?"

"What? I only said thank you. You've heard me say it before," Arthur said trying to remember the last time he said thank you.

"Um. Actually. This is the first time I've heard you say tha-" Belle stopped and quickly covered her mouth.

Arthur stared at her with a stern expression. Belle had a fearful expression on her face. Arthur knew she had said too much and that she was scared of what he might do. He wanted to yell at her and tell her to get out. But before his anger took hold of him he remembered Ana. The way she was calm even when Arthur insulted her. The way she looked. The way she talked. Arthur took a deep breath and said, "Whatever. What are my duties for today?"

"Um. Are you sure you want to review your duties your majesty?" Belle asked with a look of both confusion and surprise.

"I won't ask again!" Arthur barked which made Belle jump.

"Of course your majesty! Um. First you have to attend breakfast. After that you have to attend your study session with Counselor Brandon. Um. After you studies with Counselor Brandon… well…. Some people have been growing terribly ill from some kind of sickness. The doctors say it's the same sickness your father has. So Counselor Brandon thought it would be a good idea for you to deliver some food to the sick so the people might… like you… a bit more…" Belle trailed off.

Arthur looked at Belle again. She kept her head down and stared at the floor. "Well? Is that it? Or is there more?" Arthur asked annoyed at the thought of going around the town and delivering food.

"Um. Well. The counselor also told me to tell you to stay away from the girl from Conter Valley," Belle said.

This caught Arthur's attention quickly. He lifted himself off the bed and onto the floor. Surprisingly he felt fine. _That tea worked well._ Arthur thought. "Why?" Arthur asked curiously looking at Belle.

"Um. He said that. Uh. It would be best for your safety… and for hers…" Belle said trailing off again.

Arthur's curiosity and annoyance suddenly turned to boiling anger and rage. Belle noticed and took a step back. "Oh yeah? He thinks so? Okay. I understand. Where's the counselor right now Belle?" Arthur asked feeling like he was about to burst any second.

Belle hesitated and said, "Um. I don't think you should see him right-"

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!" Arthur roared feeling an overwhelming amount of rage come over him.

"He's in the gardens…. Please don't do anything rash your majesty…"Belle mumbled.

"I don't care," Arthur said running towards the door. He felt like he was going to lose it any second. _How dare you threaten her counselor._ Arthur thought running down the hall to reach the gardens faster. He continued to run until he heard a voice call out to him.

"Arthur! Stop running and come here!" Shyann yelled at him from a door to his right.

He stopped running and came to a stop. He looked over at his sister and said, "I'm in a bit of a rush right now! What do you want!"

"It's father. His condition has turned into something worse," Shyann said with tears forming in her eyes.

"I could care less about that old fool," Arthur said back getting ready to take off.

"Damn you Arthur come here now! Can't you have even an inch of decency in your black heart!" Shyann yelled at him. Her words hit Arthur hard. He hadn't heard her get this angry at him in a long time. He walked over to her and through the door.

The first thing Arthur saw was his father covered by a blanket. His right foreleg was wrapped up and the color of his fur had darkened. To the man's left was Arthur's mother crying. And to his right were two doctors staring grimly at their king. The old man noticed Arthur come in a locked eyes with him. "So you decided to show yourself. Take a good look boy," Arthur's father said unwrapping the cloth on his foreleg.

One of the doctors tried to stop the old man from unwrapping the cloth. But he quickly shook them off and continued to unwrap his foreleg. As soon as the cloth was loose he took it off and revealed it to Arthur.

Arthur felt a shiver run down his spine as he stared at a coarse, brown foreleg. "What…" was all Arthur could muster as he continued to look at the foreleg in fear.

"It's not an illness. It's a corruption. My right foreleg doesn't work anymore. It's gone completely numb. And it's slowly making its way to the rest of my body as well. You hear me Arthur? This is no illness. It's a corruption. An attack. A Scourge attack," the old man said.

"How? We would know a Scourge when we see one. They look nothing like us. How could they have done this? How could they have gotten into the city?" Arthur asked dumbfounded.

"We don't know. What we do know is that it's not just happening to me. It's happening to the people as well and we don't know how to cure it. Even if you don't care what happens to me boy. You must try everything in your power to search for what's causing this and to stop it. For the people," the old man said looking at Arthur.

"What?! How do you expect me to find what's causing this?! I don't even know where to look first!" Arthur said frustrated.

"It doesn't matter! The people fear and hate you Arthur! They wish for anyone but you to sit on the throne! And at this point so do I! You have failed to become a worthy king to the throne! You have failed to become the good person me and your mother want you to be! You lack feeling and heart and the only thing you respect is yourself! You are a selfish and entitled brat who doesn't deserve the right to become king! And that's why I'm taking away your right to be king. Your sister will take your place as the future queen of this kingdom and her coronation will be in four months like yours. I cannot trust you with the people. Not until you can show me that you are worthy of what it takes to be king!" Arthur's father said harshly.

Arthur felt stunned. He looked at his sister who had the same reaction. He looked back at his father who was still giving Arthur a stern look. "But… but you ca-"

"Silence! You heard what I said and I won't say it again! Now leave me!" the old man said.

Arthur looked at his sister and then his father again. He then turned around and burst out the doors of the room and ran. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't care. He couldn't think straight.

He eventually found himself in the gardens. He collapsed and roared, "AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Prince Arthur! What is wrong?!" Counselor Brandon asked worriedly. Arthur felt his anger and rage come back. He felt an arm wrap around him. "Relax my prince. Everything will be alr-" Brandon was abruptly stopped after Arthur slammed his body against the slowking.

"YOU! DAMN YOU COUNSELOR! DAMN YOU TO HELL!" Arthur said as the counselor trembled before him. "You will stay away from that girl do you understand?! If so much as a finger or paw is laid on her you will know no end to my wrath!" Arthur yelled at Brandon. The counselor stared at Arthur with a fearful face.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I-I promise n-nothing will h-happen to her," Brandon said stuttering.

Arthur noticed that there were maids and servants around watching what was happening in horror. He realized how this looked. He started to see what he was for the first time. He felt tears form in his eyes. He collapsed to the ground again. _You were right dad. I am a monster._ Arthur thought feeling his emotion take control of him.

 _Ana! I need Ana!_ Arthur thought looking around for the same route he had taken before. He found it behind him and ran. He pushed his legs as hard as he could. _Ana!_ Arthur thought again. He ran through between the houses of the town until he reached the inner walls. He burst out into the streets where people were looking his way with shock and concern. Arthur ignored them the best he could.

He looked around for the shop where he had met Ana and saw it. He ran over to it and attempted to open the door. It was locked. He looked up and saw that the shop was closed. He knocked hard on the door multiple times hoping someone would hear him. He saw a vaporeon appear from a door and look over at Arthur. She looked surprised to see him. She quickly walked to the door and opened it. "Prince Arthur. Uh. What have you come here for?" the vaporeon asked cautiously.

"Ana. Where's Ana?" Arthur asked quickly.

She looked confused and shocked as to why Arthur had asked that question. "Um. Why?" she asked.

"Damn it please! Please I just need to see her! Where is she?" Arthur begged.

The vaporeon took a good luck at Arthur and said, "Upstairs in her room. I can go get her for you."

"No. I need to see her alone," Arthur said moving through the doorway towards the stairs.

"What? Why? You can't just barge in here like this even if you are the prince," the vaporeon said behind him.

Arthur quickly turned around and said, "Please. I just need to see her alone. Please…" Arthur felt his emotions taking control of him again and tears started to form in his eyes again.

The vaporeon noticed the tears and said, "Hey what happened? Are you alright?"

Arthur tried to contain his feelings but was starting to lose control. He turned around and ran upstairs. He looked around at the doors and found a pink one with big letters on it spelling Ana. He walked over to it and knocked hard. He heard another door open behind him.

"What's going on? Prince Arthur?! What are you doing here?" a male voice asked behind him. Arthur ignored the person behind him and waited for Ana to answer the door.

He heard the doorknob turn and the door opened quickly. He saw Ana in front of him with a shocked face. "Arthur? Why are you here?" Ana asked curiously.

Arthur's emotions finally took control of him and he fell in front of Ana crying. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Arthur cried. He felt forelegs wrap around him and he leaned into Ana's body letting the tears pour out.

"It's okay. I forgive you. Relax," Ana said holding Arthur.

"I do not know what the meaning of this is! But you can't just come barging in here! Even if you are the prince! That is my daughter and-"

"Father please! Just give him some space. I'll be fine," Ana said.

"But you barely even know him. Plus. Haven't you heard what he's like. He's cruel and selfish," Ana's father said.

"Really? He doesn't look cruel or selfish right now. Right now he's hurting. Just give us some time father. It's fine. I promise," Ana said rubbing Arthur's head. He relaxed against Ana. He felt like a kid again being cradled by his mother. But instead it was a seventeen year old girl who was cradling him. And he felt perfect.

Arthur heard a new female voice, "Come on honey. Leave the boy alone. He won't do anything. Let's give them some space."

Arthur heard a sigh behind him. "Fine. But so help me if he does anything to her. It won't matter if he's a prince," the male voice said.

"I'm sure he understands that. Now come on," the female voice said as Arthur heard pawsteps go down the stairs.

"Hey. It's gonna be alright. Just relax," Ana said softly.

 _She even has the voice of an angel._ Arthur thought relaxing even more against Ana. He felt exhaustion hit him suddenly from all the running he did. He closed his eyes and rested against Ana wishing this could last forever. He felt his mind slip away as he laid against Ana. _So this is what the villagers of Conter Valley are like._ Arthur thought before falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **There you have it. Chapter 7!**

 **I'm glad I was able to push this out so soon. Kind of me being able to repay you guys for being gone for three weeks.**

 **Remember. Another chapter will be coming out soon after this one.**

 **Criticism and reviews are appreciated as always. I'll see you next time!**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	9. Cursed lunch

**So this is a remake of the chapter 8 due to it not going the way I wanted it to go. I messed it up and rushed the whole situation. This updated chapter fits more to the scene and the story.**

 **So yeah. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8:**

 **Cursed lunch**

* * *

Arthur heard the sounds of people. He smelled some kind of pie in the air. It smelled good. He felt good. Arthur felt like his body was bustling with energy. Like he could run a hundred miles and back. The other thing he noticed was something soft. Something lying against him. Or was he lying against it. He opened his eyes only to be met with sunlight. He squinted so he could adjust to the light. After a few seconds he was finally able to open his eyes.

He looked around and as to where he was. He thought he would be in his room. But instead he was lying against a pink leafeon. He suddenly remembered what had happened. He groaned trying to forget it as best he could.

"You slept for a while," Ana said.

"Sorry," Arthur said back.

"What for?" Ana asked.

"I treated you badly the first time we met. And then a day later I barge in here looking for you and then this happened. I'm just… I don't… I'm so… so…" Arthur said feeling tears form in his eyes again.

"Hey. Shh. It's alright. You're just confused. You're having emotions that you don't quite understand. You just need time to adjust to them," Ana said pulling Arthur closer to her with one foreleg and using the other to rub his head.

Arthur pressed his head into her neck. So soft. Arthur thought. "How long have I been asleep?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Two, maybe three hours. I don't know. I was asleep as well," Ana replied.

 _Two to three hours! Great._ Arthur thought knowing the royal guard must be looking for him. Arthur sighed before lifting his body to sit up. Ana sat up as well. She stretched her body before saying, "My aunt is making some food downstairs and a pie. Would you like some?" Arthur thought about it for a moment. He had no intentions of returning to the castle anytime soon. So why not.

"Why not. Got nothing better to do," Arthur said.

"Oh don't say that you overdramatic baby. Some pie will lift your attitude. Come on," Ana said walking towards the stairs.

"Overdramatic baby? I am not!" Arthur said following close behind Ana.

"Are you sure?" Ana said mockingly with a grin on her face. "You sounded like it earlier and just now. Don't worry. If you ever feel that way again then just come to me again and mama will make it all better," she said giggling.

"That's no- but…" Arthur trailed off blushing. Ana laughed at his attempt and walked downstairs with him behind her. When they reached the bottom of the stairs they walked into a room where an umbreon and an espeon were talking at a table. They both noticed Ana and Arthur's entrance and stopped talking.

"You've been sleeping an hour and thirty minutes!" the umbreon said. "I hope you don't plan to make this a routinely thing with my daughter 'prince'. I'll not have some scumbag of your nature with my daughter."

"Dad! Really? It's not like that! He's also a prince. Be a little more respectful," Ana said back at her dad.

"No. He's right. I am no prince. And I'll never be king. I promise this will not happen again sir," Arthur said taking a seat on the side of the table.

"First. You can call me Mr. Peters. Second. I want you to tell me 'what' will not happen again and what 'will' never happen," Mr. Peters said firmly. Arthur knew exactly what the old man meant and even if he was against it he would agree to it.

"Dad! Stop this!" Ana barked. Arthur placed a paw on her shoulder and shook his head.

He then looked over to Mr. Peters and said, "I promise till the day I pass that I will not barge into your home looking for your daughter and that I will never seek your daughter's paw in anything that is in love or more. I promise this to you Mr. Peters." Ana looked at Arthur with a shocked and hurt expression.

"Good. I hope that you can at least keep your word Arthur. For my daughter's sake and your's," Mr. Peters said taking a sip of his drink. Ana laid her head on the table with a face of sadness. Arthur wonder curiously as to why she was doing this. Did she like him? Would she? Even after all that he was and did. He looked away hoping not to grab her attention.

"Food is ready!" a voice yelled from another room.

"Ah. Wonderful. Ana. Would you go help your aunt with the food?" Mrs. Peters asked.

"Yeah…" Ana said slowly getting up. Arthur watched her go into the kitchen.

"Ahem," Mr. Peters pretended to clear his throat.

Arthur looked down at the table. _Well this sucks._ Arthur thought annoyed. The same vaporeon from earlier came through the door with a large bowl of noodles on her back. She got next to the table and tilted her back to the right so the food slid onto the table. Arthur had no idea what he was looking at. "What is that?" Arthur asked curiously.

"A new recipe that my brother brought over from Conter Valley. I call it noodles as it looks. But they call it spaghetti. I've never heard of it either. Guess we're going to find out," Ana's aunt said enthusiastically. Ana walked in with a pie held by one of her vines. She placed it on the middle of the table. She sat beside Arthur and put her head back down. "What's with the lone face Ana? We have a guest over and we're having spaghetti and pie," the vaporeon said sitting down at the head of the table.

"Nothing…" Ana said depressingly.

"Oh there's something wrong I can smell it. More importantly I can smell the pie. So come on dear. Lift up your head. And Prince Arthur. Feel free to dig in whenever you're ready," Ana's aunt said cutting a slice of pie. Ana lifted her head and reached for a slice of the pie.

"Um. Can you pass me some of the noodles?" Arthur asked. Ana pushed the bowl of noodles towards Arthur not looking his way. _Jeez. This is awkward._ Arthur thought as he grabbed some of the noodles and put them onto his plate. He moved his head down and took a bite out of the new food. Arthur tasted a sort of soft and mushy texture. It tasted better than he thought.

"So how does it taste?" Ana's aunt asked curiously.

"Very interesting. And different," Arthur replied. "You should have some Ana. It's really good," Arthur said as a noodle dangled from his maw.

"She'll have some if she wants to. Do not pester her," Mr. Peters said looking at Arthur.

Arthur started to get annoyed. He already promised Mr. Peters that he wouldn't go after his daughter's heart. And yet he still persisted in antagonizing Arthur about the littlest things. "I just insisted that she should have some of the noodles. Is that a problem?" Arthur asked.

"If she's hungry. She's hungry. If not. Then she's not. Is that so hard to understand?" Mr. Peters said harshly.

"What's hard to understand is you. I already promised to you what I would not and will never do. And yet you persist in giving these little 'remarks' when I talk to your daughter," Arthur said back.

"You are sitting at 'our' table after barging into 'our' home. I think you should show a little more respect to your hosts," Mr. Peters said giving Arthur a stern look.

"And you are in 'my' kingdom under 'my' father's rule. I think you've forgotten who you are talking to Mr. Peters. As far as I'm concerned. I didn't have to make that promise or ask for permission to come into this house. I think it's you who should be showing a bit more 'respect'," Arthur said back. Mr. Peters looked like he wanted to say something but realized he could not say anything more. "Anyways. I must say miss…" Arthur said trying to think of the vaporeon's name.

"You can just call me Dawn. Ironic right? My brother's name is Donnie and my name is Dawn. Our father wasn't the best at naming people," Dawn said giggling. Donnie took a quick look at Dawn as if she had done something wrong.

"I see. I must say Miss Dawn. The food is incredible. You should definitely cook it more often. Ana. Try some. It's really good," Arthur said nudging Ana.

"I'll pass. I'm not that hungry anyways," Ana said pushing her plate away from her. Arthur stared at her for a few seconds wondering. Apparently he stared too long as she noticed him staring and took a quick glance before looking away.

"Okay Ana. There's something wrong. What did you guys do while you were sleeping together?" Dawn asked with a wild grin on her face.

"No no! It wasn't like that! He was just… we were just…" Ana blushed hard before looking down. Arthur didn't know how to respond to this. He stood there trying to think of something that would fix the situation.

"So you did do something! Oh have you been a naughty leafeon?" Dawn asked laughing. Ana covered her face.

"Sis please! Leave the girl alone. Can't you see your agitating her?" Donnie asked.

"No. It was nothing like that Miss Dawn. I simply needed someone to talk to. I admit that sleeping in her embrace was not appropriate. But it was a long run from the castle. So I accidently fell asleep," Arthur said trying to help Ana escape her embarrassment and try to get on Donnie's good side before the umbreon did anything rash.

"Oh. I see. If you don't mind me asking Prince Arthur. What put you in such a state that made you come all the way out here?" Dawn asked looking at Arthur.

"Well. In four months I was supposed to have my coronation. But now my sister is bound to be queen. Um. My father took away my right to be king," Arthur said getting quieter with each word. Both Mr. And Mrs. Peters looked over along with Dawn who had a face of shock and surprise.

"He can do that? I thought the first born was bound for the throne. Can the king really derive that from you?" Mrs. Peters asked.

"Yeah. Only if they have a good reason to take my right to be king away. And… well. He had many reasons…" Arthur said looking down.

"I see. Um. Well I'm sorry to hear that. Uh so. Let's talk about someth…" Dawn trailed off. Arthur looked over. He saw the vaporeon quivering.

"Sis? What's the matter?" Donnie asked looking at his sister with worry. Suddenly the vaporeon collapsed to the floor. "SIS!" Donnie said running over to her. Mrs. Peters and Ana followed him to Dawn's side.

Arthur walked over slowly and looked at the vaporeon who was still quivering. The next thing he noticed was color had become darkened and her right foreleg had turned a light brown. A feeling of dread came over him. "Scourge…" Arthur said. The others looked over.

"You know what this is?" Donnie asked with concern.

"My father has it. It's an illness that he said couldn't be cured. My father's right foreleg recently turned brown and coarse," Arthur said feeling anger engulf him.

"WHAT?!" Donnie responded looking back at his sister.

How? Arthur thought trying to understand what could have caused it. He looked at the slice of pie that she had eaten. He reached for the pie and pulled it towards him. He tore a hole in the pie and opened it up. He inspected it carefully. It looked like wepear berry pie. He grabbed a small piece and licked it. He spat it out almost instantly and coughed harshly. Mrs. Peters, Donnie, and Ana all looked at him with concern. "The pie. It's the fucking pie," Arthur said coughing out blood.

Arthur noticed Ana's face went from concerned to fearful. Arthur looked at her and then at her plate. He saw that she had taken a bite out of it. Arthur looked back at her. Ana shook violently with an expression of pain before collapsing.

* * *

 **So that is the new and improved chapter 8. I think this was the better option then the last version.**

 **"One moooore thing". Something I'd like to address in full concern is food. Pokemon from my view are vegetarians or I dare say vegans. Because they don't eat each other in my series. So they eat berries, fruits, veggies, and other products. And just to let you know the spaghetti was plain. No meat sauce or things like that.**

 **But yeah. Criticism and reviews are appreciated as always. And "That's all folks"**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	10. The Plague

**ALERT: I updated the end of the last chapter if you haven't checked my bio. I didn't like it. So I rewrote the ending to make it fit the story and plot.**

 **This is a rather long chapter. Though it didn't take that long to write. And it also felt good to write.**

 **Another thing. I have a forum! I just don't know how you guys will be able to access it... It's called "The Wolf Pack" (Generic I know). I hope through the forum that we'll be able to talk to each other and I'll be able to keep you better updated.**

 **But with all that out of the way. Here's chapter 9. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:**

 **The plague**

* * *

Arthur ran to Ana's side and sat next to her. "Hey hey. It's alright. It's going to be alright," Arthur said worried. First his father and now it's Ana and her aunt. He looked at how her pink fur began to slowly fade into a darker shade and how her right foreleg turned brown from the tip of her paw all the way up to her shoulder. Arthur lifter her into his forelegs and held her so he could look at her.

Ana shook violently and looked up at Arthur. Even though Arthur knew she was hurting, Ana managed to smile. "Looks like your father isn't the only one," Ana said coughing.

"Don't talk. Save your breath," Arthur said rocking back and forth. Donnie sat between Dawn and Ana with an extremely worried look.

"Arthur. You said this happened to your father right? Are you sure they couldn't find a way to cure this. There has to be a way!" Donnie pleaded.

Arthur looked at the begging father who would switch between checking his daughter and his sister. "No. There wasn't a way. They said they didn't have a cure," Arthur said drooping his head low. Tears began to form in Donnie's eyes. Arthur looked over to Mrs. Peters who was crying her heart out in front of her daughter.

"There has to be a way… there has to be…" Donnie said bursting out crying. Arthur never thought he would see the stubborn man cry. He couldn't blame him. Everything seemed so impossible. Arthur thought he had found someone he could talk to. Someone that even after Arthur's insults, still had a smile on their face. Even now Ana was still smiling. But the last thing Arthur wanted to do was smile. He felt like now that he found this certain person the world was going to take them away from him. He couldn't fathom the idea.

 _This can't happen. I won't let it happen!_ Arthur thought before saying, "Mr. and Mrs. Peters. Take care of these two for now. I need to find the origin of this plague." Arthur gave Ana to her mother's embrace gently. Arthur walked over to Dawn and asked, "Dawn. I know this hurts. But you have to tell me where the wepear berries are."

Dawn struggled to move, but managed to say, "T-there in a cabinet closest to the back door i-in the kitchen." Donnie lifted his sister into his forelegs and held her gently.

Arthur got up and walked over to the kitchen. It was large and well organized. He saw a cabinet next to the back door and walked over to it. He opened the cabinet and saw many different types of berries inside. He looked for the wepear and found it at the bottom of the cabinet. He grabbed it and placed it on the counter behind him. He used his claw to slice it open. The inside looked perfectly fine. Arthur took a small piece on the tip of his claw and inspected it carefully. After tasting the pie and inevitably coughing it out he did not want to try it again. But Arthur knew he needed to figure this out. He slowly brought the claw towards his maw and put the small piece of the berry in his mouth. Though he feared he would have the same reaction as the first time. The berry tasted fine. This confused Arthur. "Maybe another ingredient was in the pie," Arthur thought walking back to the Peters. He sat beside Dawn again and asked, "Miss Dawn. I'm sorry to bother you again. But I need to know what ingredients were in that pie."

"M-mainly wepear berries, bread, some flour, some sugar, and a l-little bit of salt," Dawn said stuttering.

"Are you sure that's it? Those exact ingredients?" Arthur asked. He knew that bread, flour, sugar, and salt were main ingredients for a lot of different meals in the kingdom. _So it couldn't possibly be those or the kingdom would've been in chaos already._ Arthur thought curiously.

"W-well. If it means anything. I used the juices of the seeds inside the w-wepears in the recipe as well to add a little bit more flavor," Dawn said coughing.

 _The seeds? It couldn't be…_ Arthur thought dashing back into the kitchen. He ran to the counter where the berry was. He cut it down to the core where the seeds were and pulled one out. He looked at it carefully and split the middle of it open with the tip of his claw. As soon as the seed was opened juices flowed out onto the counter. Nothing looked wrong with the liquids. But inside the seed was a small brown sphere. He ripped it out of the wepear and looked at it. It felt rough and it felt like it was pulsating. Arthur took a deep breath and cursed himself for what he was about to do next. He place the sphere in his mouth and tasted it. He immediately spit it back out coughing hard. He collapsed to the ground and clenched his throat. _Blast you Scourge!_ Arthur thought trying to stand up.

He shook the feeling out of him and knew he had to alert the royal guard as soon as possible. But before he did he looked at the cabinet full of the berries and saw a lum berry. He pulled it out and cut it down to the core where the seed lied. He pulled it out and cut it open. Arthur froze as he saw another brown, pulsating sphere inside the seed. _It can't be…_ Arthur thought as he repeated the same process with the other berries. Each one's seed had a brown, pulsating sphere inside. "Fuck!" Arthur said realizing that all the berries had been infected.

He ran outside of the kitchen where the family of four was still mourning. "I have to go! All of the berries in the kingdom have been infected. I need to warn the royal guard about it as soon as possible. But I promise I will do whatever it takes to find a cure for this. I promise!" Arthur said quickly.

Donnie stared at Arthur for a few seconds before nodding. "Please hurry," Mrs. Peters said holding Ana.

Arthur looked at the leafeon who was smiling at him. "Go," she silently gestured with her mouth. Arthur nodded and ran towards the door. He burst out of the shop and into the streets where he got looks of shock and confusion.

"Prince Arthur! You think you can just leave the castle for a few hours without telling anyone where you were going!" Master Henry yelled. Arthur saw the bisharp walking over to him with pissed off look. Other members of the guard were following him annoyed.

"Master Henry! I need your he-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it! You're coming back to the castle this instant!" Master Henry yelled again getting the attention of everyone around them.

"But-"

"I said be quiet and come here now!" Master Henry said.

Arthur's anger built up quickly. _There's no time!_ Arthur thought.

"Hurry up bo-"

"Shut up and listen to your prince captain!" Arthur roared getting everyone's attention. Master Henry stared at him with surprise. "In fact! Everybody listen to me! The berries are poisoned! The Scourge have infected them with some kind of small brown rock! Tell everyone and anyone to stop eating the berries!" Arthur yelled. He thought that he had made his point clear and had hoped the people would listen. But instead he heard laughter. And lots of it.

"Prince Arthur please. Don't be so ridiculous. The Scourge could not have possibly have gotten into the kingdom. The walls are watched carefully everyday. No one gets in or out without the guards knowing. Now let's go," Master Henry said walking over to Arthur. He didn't know about Arthur's father.

Arthur's anger boiled to a breaking point. _THERE'S NO TIME!_ Arthur raged in his mind. He felt a power deep inside burning up. Suddenly Arthur's body lit ablaze. "LISTEN TO ME NOW! THE BERRIES ARE INFECTED! I DEMAND YOU TO FIND ANY OF THEM AND DESTROY THEM OR SO HELP ME I'LL BURN THIS KINGDOM TO THE GROUND UNTIL NOT ANOTHER BERRY EXISTS!" Arthur roared angrily. The people stared at him with fear before scrambling into their homes. Master Henry backed up as Arthur approached the captain and his subordinates. "Well captain? Why are you still standing there? MOVE!" Arthur barked. Master Henry and the other members ran in several directions calling out orders to soldiers left and right. The blaze that lit Arthur's body faded away and left Arthur wondering where it came from. _Can't worry about that now!_ Arthur thought running to the castle. On his way there he saw many citizens running around quickly with berries in their paws and hands.

The castle came into sight and Arthur knew who he had to find. _Master Brandon!_ Arthur ran into the gardens and looked around. He saw a group of servants and maids gathered around the counselor at the center of the garden. He ran to the group quickly.

Master Brandon saw Arthur's approach as did the servants and maids. "P-prince Arthur. I'm glad your back," Master Brandon stuttered.

Arthur walked up to the counselor and said, "Brandon. I need your help. Find some of our best doctors and scientists and bring them to the dining hall as fast as possible."

Master Brandon looked confused and asked, "What has happened?"

"A plague. I'll explain later. For now do what I told you and hurry," Arthur said. Master Brandon still looked confused but nodded anyways and ran into the castle. Arthur turned to the servants and maids staring at him and noticed Belle was also in the crowd. "As for the rest of you. Find all the berries in the castle and bring them to the dining hall. Do not eat any of them or you'll become infected too. Tell the others inside and stop anyone from eating them understood?" Arthur said looking around.

The people around him bowed and ran into the castle. Belle also bowed and began to run before Arthur grabbed her arm. "No. I need your help. Take me to where the berries are grown," Arthur said letting go of her arm.

She looked shocked before nodding and running in a certain direction. Arthur followed her through the gardens and back into the city. They ran pass the buildings and pass many other pokemon running around. _This is chaos!_ Arthur thought as the kingdom had turned from peaceful and still to loud and unstable. _This is exactly what they wanted!_ Arthur thought following Belle into a field of berries. She stopped breathing heavily. Arthur walked to her side and patted her on the back. "Thank you Belle. I want you to return back to the castle as soon as you are able to and help gather the berries," Arthur said walking into the fields.

He walked through the fields inspecting each plant carefully. He walked over to a grown plant and pulled it out of the ground. It was an oran berry. He cut it open and pulled out the seed. He split it and saw another small brown, pulsating sphere. He cursed underneath his breath. He threw it to the ground. _**Flamethrower.**_ He inhaled the air before expelling fire from his mouth onto the berries. He turned in circles creating a massive blaze. He ran through the fields breathing fire on everything he passed making sure no berry was left untouched. He continued to do this until he was done running through the fields. He looked around to check if the he had gotten everything.

He froze in place as he saw a brown, distorted figure in the midst of the inferno facing him. Arthur looked closely and realized it was an arcanine like him. Arthur felt that burning power rise again as his body lit ablaze.

The Scourge arcanine slowly began to walk towards Arthur. Arthur responded with doing the same. The Scourge arcanine picked up the pace making Arthur do the same and before he knew it they were running towards each other. "COME ON!" Arthur roared as their bodies clashed against each other. The force from the Scourge arcanine body was immense and sent Arthur flying backwards. But before Arthur hit the ground he noticed he had also sent the Scourge arcanine flying as well. They both hit the ground hard. Arthur saw his vision blur for a few seconds. He pulled himself up off the ground and dashed towards the Scourge arcanine who was still struggling to get up. But before Arthur was able to reach the him. He got up and leapt out of the way with lightning speed. As soon as Arthur flew by the monster slammed its head into Arthur's side sending him flying. Arthur hit the ground hard again and felt the air push out of his lungs.

He gasped for air as the Scourge arcanine ran towards him with incredible speed. _Oh no you don't! **Eruption.**_ The ground beneath Arthur burst out in flames that shot high making the Scourge arcanine jump back. Arthur saw the opportunity and took it. **_Flame charge._** Arthur's body became a flame and with amazing speed shot into the Scourge arcanine sending him flying. Arthur saw it hit the ground hard. It struggled to get up but Arthur wouldn't let it have the chance. He ran towards the Scourge arcanine.

Before the Scourge arcanine was able to react Arthur tackled him to the ground and they both fought to get over each other. Arthur found footing and used it to pin the Scourge arcanine to the ground. The monster fought against Arthur. But he wasn't able to do anything as Arthur held him in place. Arthur lifted his head and inhaled. _**INFERNO OVERDRIVE.**_ Arthur breathed a powerful, immense stream of fire onto the Scourge arcanine. The ground cracked beneath them as Arthur continued to unleash fire onto the Scourge. After a few more seconds passed Arthur stopped the fire coming from his maw. The Scourge beneath him had been completely burned and melted in some places. The ground that Arthur had pinned him against had turned into a massive black crater. The Scourge arcanine twitched and Arthur noticed he, "it" was still breathing. "Good. I need you alive," Arthur said. He lifted himself off the Scourge arcanine and the fire that engulfed him vanished.

"Prince Arthur! Prince Arthur where are you!" Master Henry called out.

"I'm over here!" Arthur called back. He saw jets of water put out the inferno he had created. As the smoke of the fire cleared he saw a group of people and soldiers including Master Henry walking towards him. As they approached Arthur they noticed the crater and looked with disbelief.

"What in Arceus's name…" a male empoleon said.

"Bring this 'thing' to the castle. Keep it alive. It's got some answering to do," Arthur said walking towards the castle. The pokemon stepped out of his way whispering. _What is this?_ Arthur thought trying to understand what he had done back there.

 **O O O**

Arthur stood looking himself in the mirror. Any injury he had sustained from the battle with the Scourge arcanine had healed incredibly fast. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay Arthur. Time to go figure this out." He walked towards the door and out into the halls of the castle making his way to the dining room. He thought of all the things that had occurred in the past two days. What he had done within those two days. He knew the people had questions and the counselors had even more. This was his problem now and Arthur planned to make things right.

"Prince Arthur. Wait up," Belle said from behind him.

"What is it Belle?" Arthur asked as the mienshao caught up to him.

"I wanted to know something. Remember that lum berry juice tea I gave you this morning. If all the berries had been infected. Then how did you not become plagued?" Belle asked.

Arthur stopped and remembered the tea he had that morning. It didn't taste bad or disgusting like the pie he had tasted earlier. In fact. If he thought the taste was awful enough to make him cough out blood. Then how did Ana or Dawn not notice the taste? "I don't know. It tasted fine this morning. Did you put the juice from inside the seed inside the tea?" Arthur asked.

"I did," Belle responded.

"Did you notice a brown sphere inside the seed?" Arthur asked.

"I didn't check. I just split it and just dumped the juice out," Belle said.

"I don't know then. Hmm. Well. For now I must attend the meeting. We'll talk about this later," Arthur said continuing to walk down the hall.

"Yes my prince," Belle said following him.

They turned a corner and saw a large group of servants, maids, and citizens looking into the dining hall. They walked over to the doors hearing lots of talking coming from inside. The people noticed Arthur's approach and moved out of the way creating a path for him into the dining hall. Belle stayed behind with the other maids. In the middle of the table laid a pile of berries stacked upon each other. The crowd from inside fell silent as Arthur walked over to the head of the table where his father was supposed to be. He approached the empty seat and sighed. He sat in the chair where everyone was staring at him. "This meeting is now in session. Due to my father's illness he cannot attend. And since both my sister and my mother are attending to him I will be the taking their place for now. Tell me counselors. What have we discovered about this plague?" Arthur asked.

"Well. From what we have observed the orbs lying inside the seeds of the fruits contain some sort of dark blue liquid. This liquid seems to be pulsing almost like a beating heart in a way. As much as it disgusts us we would like to assume this is some kind of blood. And after talking with the people who have been affected with this plague. They tell us that when they tasted the berries that they tasted normal. They didn't notice any weird taste," Master Brandon said.

 _Blood? What kind of blood persists after leaving the body?_ Arthur thought. "Hmm. How many people have been affected by the plague?" Arthur asked fearing the answer.

The counselors whispered amongst each other before a female purugly stood up and said, "There are currently five hundred thousand residents between the castle and the inner walls and two and a half million living between the inner walls and the outer walls. From reports by the royal guard. Over two million and one hundred thousand residents have been affected in total." Gasps and talk rang through the room. The groups inside the doorways shuffled worriedly.

"Enough!" Arthur yelled throughout the room making sure all heard his voice. All eyes were on him again. "Have we found a cure?" Arthur asked.

"No your majesty. The blood only infects the host. It cannot be reversed," Master Brandon said depressingly.

Arthur closed his eyes and looked up to the ceiling. He opened them and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before saying, "Alright. Bring in the Scourge." Some guards on the opposite end of the table blocking a door pulled it open. Master Henry and a few other guards dragged the burnt monster who was in chains across the ground and slammed him to the floor in front of the table. They held spears next to its neck and legs. The groups and the counselors all began to gasp and whisper in disbelief.

"What happened to it?" a male toxicroak asked.

"I did," Arthur said getting off the chair and walking down the length of the table. As he walked by he heard more whispers some shocked and others saying that it wasn't possible. He reached the front of the table and stood in front of the burnt monster. "Can you speak beast?" Arthur asked coldly.

The Scourge arcanine said nothing and instead spit at Arthur. Arthur walked closer to the monster and put his paw on its back. His paw heated up quickly and started to burn the Scourge's back. It began to screech in pain. Others around Arthur winced at the sound but Arthur held steady. "You did this to our kingdom. You. Will. Speak," Arthur said at the beast as he heated his paw up some more. Arthur let the monster cry out for a few more seconds and then took his paw off the Scourge beast.

The Scourge arcanine breathed heavily. It then started to make this deep cackling. _So that's how it's going to be._ Arthur thought annoyed. "Captain Henry? Cut its leg off," Arthur asked.

"It would be my honor," the bisharp said using one of the blades on its wrists to swiftly cut off the Scourge's left hind leg. The beast bellowed in pain as light blue blood began to gush out. Arthur looked at it and became curious. "So you bleed light blue blood but not dark blue. So it isn't your blood in the berries. Then whose is it?" Arthur asked.

The Scourge arcanine cackled again before saying in a broken voice, "Yoouur p-peopleee aare d-doooomeed. Oonly thee truue bloood o-of thee beeast whoo suppplied it caan curee yoour peeoplee."

"And whose the beast who supplied it?" Arthur demanding stomping on the wound where the Scourge's leg used to be. It hollered in pain again. The groups in the doorways all watched in horror.

"Thee greeat Titan Zulev!" the beast yelled cackling hard.

Cries and talk bursted out in the room. Arthur froze. _A titan's blood._ Arthur thought fearfully. From what Arthur remembered in his lessons with Master Brandon. Titan's were great, giant Scourge beasts that held enormous amounts of power. No Titan had ever been killed before and for good reason. The other thing that frightened Arthur was he knew who Zulev was. Everyone did. The Titan that haunted the west mountains outside of the kingdom's borders. And now they needed it's blood to save the people who were plagued. "I see. Master Henry. Take this 'thing' out of my sight. Treat him well will you. Make sure he's comfortable in the dungeons," Arthur said in a deep voice.

"Of course your majesty," Master Henry said bowing before dragging the beast out of the dining hall and back through the doors where they pulled him from.

Arthur sighed and turned around to the arguing counselors. "Quit your bitching!" Arthur demanded.

"Then what should we do prince Arthur? We can't challenge Zulev. We'd be slaughtered within minutes," a female pidgeot said. The other counselors nodded and agreed with the pidgeot.

Arthur sighed and walked back towards the head of the table. "I understand the situation," Arthur said stopping in his tracks. Though Arthur understood the situation. He did not know how to solve it. Killing a Titan was not something a group of people could just do. _So how in the world are we going to get its blood?_ Arthur questioned in his head. Another thought came into his mind at that same moment. _Ana._ Arthur remembered the leafeon. How the gorgeous color of her fur darkened. How her right foreleg became brown. How she smiled even when she was in pain. Arthur needed to see her.

"Then what are we going to do?" Master Brandon asked.

"We'll come back to this tomorrow. It's been a busy day for all of us. Counselors. I want new berries planted. Check them first before planting. Send food out to sick and make sure they are taken care of," Arthur commanded the counselors. He turned to one of the soldiers and said, "I want the royal guard to double their efforts. Keep a watchful eye on anything that comes in and anything that goes out. I also want the city searched. Every nook and cranny. Leave no stone unturned. We can't afford another situation like this. Am I clear?"

"Yes your majesty!" the soldier said bowing.

"Good. This meeting is now dismissed," Arthur said walking towards the door.

"Wait my prince. Before you go. How did you hurt the beast so bad? We heard rumors from some of the people. But we hardly believed they were true," a female asked behind Arthur.

"Plus. Any Scourge beast is a formidable opponent," a male said.

"I burned him. That's all," Arthur said walking away hearing more questions behind him. He chose to ignore them and continued to walk away.

"My prince," Master Brandon said walking beside Arthur. "Where are you going? Your quarters are the other way."

"I know. I'm going to see the sick… and a friend…" Arthur said thinking about Ana.

"I see. My prince. I'm sorry about telling you to stay away from that girl. I thought it best for you not to get too attached due to you being a prince and she being someone new from Conter Valley. I see now that I was in the wrong. I hope you can forgive me," Master Brandon said.

"There's nothing between us counselor and there never will be. Even if there was. All is forgiven," Arthur said.

"I see," Master Brandon said taking a right down another hallway. Before he vanished out of sight he turned around and said, "And prince Arthur. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you. And I know your father would be proud of you as well for what you did and how you acted today. I see now that you possess the qualities of a king."

Arthur closed his eyes and said, "No. I'm sorry Master Brandon. But I am no king and I never will be. From now on your lessons must go to my sister. She must be the one to sit on that throne. Not me." Arthur walked away not waiting for the counselor to respond. _I can never be king._ Arthur thought.

 **O O O**

Arthur walked through the city where the mood had grown foul and depressed in the night. He visited many houses on his way to the Peters shop. The people who had been plagued had already lost hope. And their families had already begun to mourn them. It hurt Arthur to see the people like this. There had never been such an infiltration before. Especially in the food. It sickened him to think that the Scourge had used blood to plague the kingdom. He continued to walk towards the inner walls exchanging quick glances with people here and there.

After walking for another ten minutes Arthur had reached the shop. It looked so still and dead. _Ironic._ Arthur thought shaking it out of his head. He walked over to the door and knocked on it softly. After a few seconds Mrs. Peters came down the stairs and walked over to the door. She unlocked it and pushed the door open. She had tears in her eyes.

"Hello prince Arthur…. I suppose you've come to see Ana?" Mrs. Peters asked.

"I have. If it's alright with you?" Arthur asked.

She nodded and stepped out of the way saying, "Ana and her aunt aren't doing to good. Please be quick so they can rest."

"I will. Thank you," Arthur said walking towards the stairs. He walked up and towards the door where Ana's name was. He took a deep breath before opening the door. The room was dimly lit and a leafeon laying under a blanket was looking at him.

She smiled and said, "Hey. Come to mama to shake off some tears again?"

Arthur chuckled and walked over to her. "Something like that," he said sitting to the side of her bed.

"Thought so," Ana said quietly.

"I have good news and bad news Ana. Good news. We know how to cure this," Arthur said.

"Great. What's the bad news?" Ana said.

Arthur looked down feeling sadness engulf him. "The bad news is… we need Zulev's blood to make it," Arthur said grimly.

"Who's Zulev?" Ana asked.

"Really? Wow. The people of Conter Valley have a lot to catch up on. Zulev is a Titan. A really big Titan," Arthur said looking at her.

"What's a Titan?" Ana asked giggling softly.

"Oh come on," Arthur said laughing quietly.

"Don't worry. I know what a Titan is," Ana said laughing before coughing hard. Arthur placed his paw on her shoulder.

"Easy. You should get some rest," Arthur said.

"I know. It's just hard. I wish I could've lived longer that's all," Ana said laying her head on the pillow with tears in her eyes.

"Hey. Don't say that. We'll find a way. I promised we would," Arthur said.

"Arthur. Nothing has ever killed a Titan before. It's okay," Ana said.

Arthur felt his body begin to tremble. _I can't lose you…_ Arthur thought. Suddenly an idea came to his mind. He looked at his paw. He remembered how his body had lit on fire hours earlier. He remembered how he produced a crater from fire alone. He remembered how his body had healed incredibly fast. Arthur felt something surge in him. _I won't lose you!_ Arthur thought looking at Ana. "Ana. I want you to promise you'll do your best to hold on until I get back," Arthur said.

"What do you mean?" Ana asked looking at him.

He smiled before saying, "I made a promise that I would find a cure. I intend to keep that promise. Even if it kills me. Even if I have to fight thousands of Scourge. Even if I have to tear out Zulev's heart myself. I will bring his blood back and I will save you and this kingdom."

Ana stared at him wide eyed. "No. Don't say such a crazy thing. Stay here," Ana said.

"I cannot. My mind has been made up. I would be no help if I stayed. And even if I attend the meeting and the next and so forth. They will not know what to do. I have to do this. No one else can. It's my burden. The people already hate me. So if I die. Then nobody will care. And I'll die knowing that I tried," Arthur said.

"I'LL CARE!" Ana yelled clenching her head. Arthur rubbed her shoulder. "I'll care damn you. I don't want you to die trying to save me. Please Arthur. Don't do this," Ana pleaded looking at him with tears in her eyes.

Arthur smiled and patted her head. "I'm sorry Ana," Arthur said turning towards the door and walking away.

"No! Arthur… please don't go…" Ana begged behind him. He heard her begin to cry behind him.

Arthur walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. At the end of the hall was Donnie staring at him with tears in his eyes. "That 'thing' will kill you Arthur. Are you willing to sacrifice that much for her?" Donnie asked.

"It doesn't matter how much I lose. I'll die if I have to," Arthur said.

"Are you really so stupid? It's a suicide mission. I knew my daughter liked you the minute she met you. I made you promise to me to stay away from her. That doesn't mean I want you to go kill yourself god damn it," Donnie barked.

"I have to do this Mr. Peters. Nothing will change my mind," Arthur said walking for the stairs.

As he made his way down he heard Mr. Peters yell, "Then forward unto death Arthur Drachen!"

Arthur reached the bottom of the stairs and walked towards the door. _I'll save you Ana. I promise._ Arthur said walking out the door. _But first. I need supplies._ Arthur thought running to the castle.

 **O O O**

Arthur packed food and water from the kitchen in a satchel he grabbed from his room. He made sure not to be seen by anyone on his way through the city. No one could know he was leaving. They would most likely try to stop him. So he wore a cloak over himself and kept to the shadows. At times like this he wished he was a dark type pokemon or even a ghost type could have helped. But he had to work with being a fire type. So he was silent as he could be as he walked through alleys between the houses. He was grateful for the night that hid him from the royal guard patrolling the roads. This also proved a problem. He had told the royal guard to keep a sharp eye on anyone that came in and anyone that left. That meant he had to somehow get pass the royal guard without them following him. _How?_ Arthur thought.

"You need help yes?" a voice came from behind him. Arthur whipped around and noticed an old lucario wrapped in a hooded cape that hid his body from sight leaving his face barely visibly. The lucario smile and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you prince Arthur. My name is Vincent. I assume you're trying to find a way out of the inner walls without getting spotted am I right?"

"What is is to you? And how did you know where to find me?" Arthur asked cautiously.

Vincent looked at the wall. "There is no need to worry prince Arthur. I am just a wise old man simply trying to help you on your journey. Come now. We must not waste any more time as it waits for no one," Vincent said walking towards the streets.

"We'll get caught if we go out that way," Arthur said.

Vincent stopped. He turned his head and said, "Arthur. These people are dying. Ana is dying. Your only way of saving them is by using Zulev's blood to cure them. If you wish to see them live. You have to trust me."

Arthur had no idea who this guy was or how he knew about Ana. As much as he did not want to trust Vincent. He had no other plans of getting pass the wall and the guards. He had to take this chance. Arthur walked to the side of Vincent. The lucario nodded. Together they walked out into the streets and started to make their way towards the gate.

A patrol was walking towards the direction they were coming from. Arthur kept his head down as he watched the patrol walk by the two without saying a word. _Weird._ Arthur thought as he continued to walk with Vincent towards the gate. There were at least four guards watching it. Two facing the castle and the other two in the opposite direction. Arthur looked to Vincent who had a smile on his face. Arthur also noticed a glow in the eyes of the lucario. _What are you up to?_ Arthur thought. They began to walk through the gate and as they did the four guards keeping watch didn't even budge. Arthur thought they were just stupid. But they looked as serious as they could be. Arthur and Vincent walked out of the gate to the outer walls like they were completely invisible.

"How?" Arthur quietly asked.

"Do not worry about it prince Arthur. I told you I simply wanted to help you make your journey. I plan to do just that," Vincent said while Arthur followed him.

"You have a lot of explaining to do old man," Arthur said.

"I know. I will try to answer to the best of my abilities," Vincent said.

Arthur took a glance back at the kingdom believing he might never see it again. He thought about his family. He thought about Ana. He wishing he could've told all of them a proper goodbye. But he knew they would try to stop him if he did. Ana proved that. But Arthur's mind had already been made up. He could not, would not turn back now. He had to save his people. He had to save Ana. _I'm coming for you Zulev._

* * *

 **Wow. That took forever. Glad that I'm done though.**

 **I knew a long chapter was coming. I just didn't realize it would be this long. But when you got something going you can't stop (Unless it starts to become bad).**

 **But as always. Criticism and reviews are appreciated. See ya.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	11. Awakening

**I would first like to apologize. I realize it took three weeks to get this chapter out. I have a couple of reasons why.**

 **Obviously one of them was Christmas and New Year (I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and New Year). Another reason was I needed time to think. The more I write. The more I realize how much I enjoy it. It has preoccupied most of my time at home. And even when I'm not writing. I'm thinking. Trying to figure out what to write next. With the three weeks I have been gone. I have thought long and hard about this story. And another story. My own story. I want to write something that has been on my mind for a long time but it's difficult finding time to manage two stories and school. So. I have come up with a plan.**

 **With the three weeks I have used to think. I have come up with several ideas for this story. I want to keep it going and I don't want to stop writing it. So I have made up a plan. But I will not reveal that plan. Not yet.**

 **As for my other story. I don't know. Part of me doesn't want to try the real world yet. But the other part needs to get this out. And thus. I am conflicted. But I will try nonetheless. When I find time of course. As it all depends on time.**

 **When I reach college in a year and a half from now. I am going to be working a lot more. I don't know how much work. And I don't know if I'll have time to write. But I think I might be able to finish this story before then. Maybe. Depends on how far I stretch it.**

 **I'm not the best writer on this site. I don't think I'm that good. I tell myself that I get better with each chapter I write. It helps me improve. I don't know if I'll be successful in this art. But I do know that I'm trying. That I made a leap me from a year ago wouldn't have even dared. It's not about how good you are or how bad you are. What matters. Is that tried your best. Is that you did your best. I believe that I am doing the best I can for this story. I hope you can appreciate that if not my writing. This is only my opinion though. My belief. And I'm not asking for you to accept this belief. I'm simply telling you what I think. If you read this far. Thank you.**

 **Alright. Enough talk. It's time for chapter 10. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10:**

 **Awakening**

* * *

"How much longer do you think he's going to be out for?" a soft female voice asked. Cooper's body felt numb and weightless as he attempted to move it.

"I already told you. When we found him his body had been completely destroyed. At this point we can assume that he's in a coma," a male voice said. The people Cooper was listening to didn't sound like anybody he had ever met.

"What were his injuries again?" a deeper male voice said with a large sigh. Cooper felt fatigued and hungry. He wondered if Marlin had anything to eat. Maybe he had some berries that Cooper could use to make a pie.

"A broken spine that has probably caused paralysis. Multiple second and third degree burns across his body which are most prominent here and here. A severe concussion that may result in mental confusion and amnesia. Most of the flesh and tissue in his right foreleg has been torn including some of the bone badly scraped rendering it useless. We'll most likely have to amputate it. He has four broken ribs from the pole. And he's inhaled a large amount of smoke that will most likely cause his lungs to fail. Combine all that with the amount of blood he's lost. It would take a miracle and then some for him to survive," the first male said again with sadness in his voice.

 _I wonder who they're talking about._ Cooper thought curiously. _I wonder what Elise is doing right now. Maybe I should go see how she's doing. Maybe she'll want to come out to eat with me._

"Arceus help his soul. Have the Scourge shown any movement lately Mary?" the deep voiced male asked. Cooper pondered over who the Scourge were.

"Not as of lately. After the invasion. They retreated quickly. At first it looked like a tactical retreat. But as I looked closer. It almost looked like they were running from something," Mary said with curiosity in her voice. What invasion Cooper wondered. Who would be crazy enough to invade the Conter Mountains?

"That's impossible. The Scourge fear nothing. What could possibly scare them?" the softer voiced male said.

"Beats me. I just know it looked like they were running," Mary said.

"Alright. At least it buys us time. Mary. Give him another dose of the numbing medicine," the deep voiced male commanded. Cooper felt his maw pulled open and tasted a bitter, horrible tasting liquid go down his throat. It tasted like a very strong medicine. He suddenly felt tired and exhausted. Cooper felt his mind drift off and he fell asleep again.

 **O O O**

Cooper woke up to feeling someone rubbing his head. It felt like an arm. Cooper concluded it whoever was rubbing his head did not have a paw or a hand.

"How long are you going to sleep for?" the female voice asked.

 _Is she talking to me?_ Cooper wondered trying to push words out of his mouth. But once again he felt completely weightless. He wondered if he was still asleep. He felt his mouth pulled open again and tasted the horrible liquid from earlier go down his throat once more. _What in the blazes is that?_ Cooper thought annoyed and disgusted. He felt tired again and quickly drifted back into sleep.

 **O O O**

"... do we have a choice? The Scourge are planning another attack. And he would just be extra weight. He's been in a coma for four weeks now and his injuries have barely healed. What hope does he have?" the first male said.

 _Four weeks?_ Cooper questioned. That didn't seem possible that someone could sleep for that long. Well. _Maybe_ _hibernation pokemon could do it._ He thought wishing he could sleep that long.

"But what if he has family?! What if they're still looking for him?!" Mary shouted angrily. Ana was far from looking for Cooper. In fact. She was probably in the capital by now. And his father most likely wouldn't care in the first place.

"I know you want to help him Mary. But Maron is right. His body is failing. And as much as I hate to say it. He would not be the only one who was left behind. At least a hundred bodies still lie in Conter Valley untouched. And they will most likely remain there. And if he does have family. I promise you they are not the only family who has lost someone. We are out of options. Under any other circumstances. I would without a doubt carry his body back myself. Maron. Get another capsule of the numbing. Let's get this over with," the second male said sighing.

 _Numbing medicine? What for?_ Cooper thought trying to understand the situation. Maybe that was the reason he couldn't feel his body. He attempted to shake himself as to get the stranger's' attention. But like the first time. It was no use.

"You have to reconsider Morton. He's still alive. We have to try!" Mary yelled again. Cooper tried hard to figure out what was going on. Of course he was still alive. Why wouldn't he be? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep after walking with Elise in the Golden Fields. He felt happy seeing that moment.

 _You fool._ said a voice in Cooper's head.

 _What? Who's there? Are you my conscience?_ Cooper asked.

 _No. I am not your conscience Cooper. It doesn't matter who I am. What does matter. Is that you need to get up. Right now._ the voice said deeply.

"There's nothing to reconsider. We have not the medicine nor the tools to save him and the Scourge are getting ready for another attack. I won't argue with you anymore. Now pack your things. We leave as soon as he passes," Morton said coldly. Cooper heard someone run the opposite way from him.

 _Oh. This is a dream. A really weird dream. And that means you can be whatever I want you to be. Turn into a mountain!_ Cooper said playfully. He heard someone walk towards him. He felt his mouth pried open again and tasted the bitter liquid from earlier. It ran down his throat and made Cooper feel like puking. He felt tired again and decided to take another nap. _I've been real tired today for some reason. Maybe I'll take one more nap._ _Wait. I'm already asleep though._ Cooper thought puzzledly.

 _GET UP VERLIDIAN! Do not drift back to sleep!_ the voice yelled in his head giving Cooper a mild headache.

 _I'm already asleep though. Right?_ Cooper asked curiously.

 _Elise! If you drift back to sleep. You will die and leave her alone in this world. Now get up!_ the voice commanded.

 _How am I going to die? I feel fine. I'm not leaving Elise behind. I'm not… leaving… her…_ Cooper's thought trailed off. _Elise… ELISE!_ Cooper remembered the invasion all at once. He remembered his house falling on top of him. He remembered feeling crushed and burnt. He remembered conducting lighting to create a crater. He remembered that he needed to see her. He needed to apologize for what he did. He wouldn't die without reaching her. Without letting her know how sorry he was. He tried to force his limbs to move. He tried to yell out. But his maw would not open. He felt his body begin to drift once more. _I can't. Not yet!_ Cooper yelled in his mind. _I have to see her once more!_

His mind became fuzzy. He felt like he would pass out any minute now. _Not yet…_ Cooper thought trying to resist. He saw her on the Golden Fields again. He saw her fur. Her beauty. The way the flowers bloomed around her. _I… will not… die here!_ Cooper thought feeling that surge of power rise inside of him once more. He latched onto it. He let it flow through his body. He felt sensation enter him again. He felt his body react. And within a minute of letting the power resurrect his movements. He could feel his body and the overwhelming agony that came with it.

 _Careful Cooper. Do not be so hasty to get up. You may be able to move again. But you are in no condition to walk._ the voice said.

 _Than what's the point? If I can't move. They'll just leave me behind. I have to try._ Cooper said back. He slowly opened his eyes so they could adjust to the light. He saw a rhydon and a conkeldurr standing a few feet away from him. He was lying on a soft blanket atop grass. He was surrounded by trees that provided shade from the sun that was surprisingly bright. The next thing he noticed were the massive mountains looming over him. _So I'm still in the Conter Mountains._ Cooper thought. Though he was happy to see the mountains. He knew Elise and the villagers had most likely started headed north. The rhydon was the first to notice that Cooper was awake.

"What the hell?!" Maron said taking a quick step back. Cooper looked between the two and knew Maron was the rhydon from his voice and Morton was the conkeldurr by process of elimination. Cooper slowly moved his left foreleg so he could push himself onto his paws. "How are you still able to move?"

"W-where am I?" Cooper said quietly. His voice was still sore and coarse. _Four weeks and I can still barely speak._ Cooper thought annoyed.

"You shouldn't be moving boy. Your injuries are bad enough," Morton said looking at Cooper worriedly.

"Y-yeah. But I'm n-not dead. And I w-won't let death take me j-just yet," Cooper said lifting his body with his legs which were still asleep. He struggled to stand as his whole body trembled from the pain. Most of the pain came from his right foreleg which he could barely feel. He looked at it and saw a red cloth wrapped around his leg. At first he thought it was just a red cloth. But when he looked closer he saw a hint of white in very few spots. He cursed under his breath realizing that it was his blood that had painted the cloth red. Some of it even looked fresh.

"You'll die if you continue to walk though. Your body can't handle it," Maron said keeping his distance as if Cooper was dangerous.

"So what then? Y-you were planning on l-leaving me here anyways because I c-couldn't move. But I'm moving. And I w-won't stop moving until I reach E-Elise," Cooper said looking at the sky to find the sun so he could find out which way was north.

"We had no choice. Have you even looked at the rest of your body? Standing up should be impossible," Maron said staring in awe.

"And yet, here we are…" Cooper said coughing up blood. It was summer right now. So Cooper looked at the sun and attempted to figure out which direction it was heading.

 _North is to your right._ the voice said. Cooper scowled. He didn't like the idea of someone being in his thoughts. It made him feel uncomfortable and insecure.

 _Thanks...What do I call you?_ Cooper asked looking to his right. All he could see were the large mountains ahead of him. He knew it was going to be a long journey before he ever reached Elise. He would somehow have to make up four weeks of travel in a condition where his body was barely able to hold on. It would take at least a month to catch up to them. And that's assuming if he doesn't stop or get slowed down.

 _Sleepy._ Sleepy said.

 _Sleepy? What kind of name is that?_ Cooper asked wondering if the voice was some kind of psychic pokemon with a really powerful mind.

 _It is not my real name. It is simply a shorter version of the one who sleeps._ Sleepy said.

 _The one who sleeps? Why won't you tell me your real name?_ Cooper said believing that he was being pranked somehow. Most likely not considering the situation.

 _This is not a prank Cooper. And I'll keep my identity concealed for now._ Sleepy said.

 _Fine. Also. Stop interpreting what I think. It's creepy._ Cooper said trying to think of something else.

 _I'll try._ Sleepy said.

"So do you plan on going to this Elise person?" Morton asked staring at Cooper intently.

"That's the plan," Cooper said stumbling in the direction of north. His foreleg restricted him more than he thought. He could barely move it without feeling it burn immensely. _Is there a way to subdue the pain Sleepy?_ Cooper asked.

 _Hmm._ Sleepy hummed deeply as if he was hiding something.

 _Is there a way?_ Cooper asked again.

He heard Sleepy sigh before he answered. _Yes... Do you r_ _emember the power you summoned when you thought about Elise and how it subdued the numbing medicine?_

 _Yes. What about it?_ Cooper asked back.

 _Take another dose of the numbing medicine they gave you. It will stop the major pain in your body. After that. I want you to concentrate on Elise. I want you to use the memories of her as a filter for the power hidden in you to flow through. Think of her. See her. Let her be the key to controlling your power. When you feel it emerge. Grasp it and use it to move your body. Imagine the power as your bones. Feel it. Control it. Once you do. You will be able to move as if you have no injuries at all. But be careful. If you do not keep track of your body's condition. You could easily forget you are dying._ Sleepy cautioned.

 _Are you kidding me? Is that something anyone can do?_ Cooper asked in awe.

 _No. Only a certain few can muster the same power. Take caution when using your power Cooper. It is no blessing and could quickly become a curse._ Sleepy warned Cooper in a deep tone.

 _You talk about it as if you yourself have done it._ Cooper said.

 _It does not matter if I have or not. Heed my words Cooper._ Sleepy said.

"Any and all survivors of Conter Valley have traveled far up north already. In your condition. You won't even be able to make it pass one mountain let alone a whole cluster of them," Maron said looking at the giants surrounding them.

"Where's the numbing medicine?" Cooper asked locking onto the memory of him and Elise in the Golden Fields and pushing all other thoughts away.

"Why?" Morton asked looking at Cooper intently.

"I need it," Cooper said trying to bare the pain.

"Does it even affect you? You somehow were able to move even when I gave you a large dose," Maron asked.

"Please. Just g-give it to me. I'll explain l-later," Cooper said trying to keep his balance. Maron looked at Morton who nodded. The rhydon opened the bag around his waist and pulled out a capsule with blue liquid in it. He walked over to Cooper and gave it to him. Cooper opened the capsule and looked at the liquid remembering the bitter taste. "Bottoms up," he said quietly to himself.

He poured the liquid in his mouth and in one gulp swallowed it all. He shivered at the bitter taste and held back the urge to vomit. He felt the pain in his body begin to fade and Cooper saw Elise in his mind. He saw her sitting in the fields. He focused on the glowing flowers that surrounded her that made her look like the sun in the flesh. He felt the energy build up in him and grasped onto it once more being careful not to let it go. He focused on the image of Elise and let the power run through his bones.

Just when he believed it wasn't going to work. He felt the feeling in his right foreleg return. The ability to move it freely. The sensation of the cold air around it. The shaking in his body from the pain that cursed him minutes ago faded away. He stood up on all fours and shook his body slowly. He didn't feel pain anymore. In fact. He felt incredible. He felt like he could run the length of Conter Valley twenty times. _This is incredible._ Cooper thought stretching his legs as if he just woke up on a Saturday morning.

"How the hell did you do that? A few minutes ago you were crippled," Morton asked glaring at Cooper in awe.

"It's… wow. It's a long story," Cooper said surprised at how he was able to speak so fluently.

 _Sleepy this is… incredible. I feel amazing._ Cooper said looking at his right foreleg. It was still wrapped up. But this time it looked like there was a new bloodstain.

"A long story? Son you just came back from the dead. I only know one other man who has done such a thing. But it took him months to recover. You just… stood up. Like it was nothing. You have some explaining to do," Morton said walking around Cooper and checking him.

 _There is no time Verlidian. You may feel fine. But your body is not._ Sleepy warned. _As much as you would like to see Elise. You must head to the Unseen Forest. There is a person there that can heal you._ Sleepy said.

 _The Unseen Forest? Are you kidding me? That place is a god damn maze. Anyone that's gone in has either been driven insane or has never seen again._ Cooper said remembering the nights where his grandfather told him stories about the forest. It was the largest one in the kingdom and none of the past kings had been crazy enough to try and map it out and for good reason too. It was a nightmare. Some say it even rivaled the dangers and mysteries of the center of the Conter Mountains which Cooper barely believed was possible.

"I wish I could explain. But honestly I don't know what the hell this is either," Cooper said turning his around to look at his stomach which was also wrapped in a cloth. Though it felt fine. It looked like more blood had somehow gotten out even after four weeks.

 _I know what you have been told. But you have to trust me Cooper. You have no other choice. No medicine or healing ability outside of the forest can save you._ Sleepy said.

"Are you sure you're fine? Your body still looks like shit," Maron said looking a little apprehensive.

 _I don't even know who I'm looking for. And what if the Scourge attack the villagers? Including Elise?_ Cooper asked worriedly.

 _I promise you Cooper. Elise is fine. She is under my watch along with the other villagers. I'll explain more along the way. As for who you are searching for. Her name is Fenna. Fenna Nightfall. She is the only one who is able to heal you right now. Hurry Verlidian. Lest you wish to gamble with a death second time. Now go!_ Sleepy said sternly.

"Listen. I want to explain and I will. But we need to go to the Unseen Forest. I know it sounds crazy. But currently I'm dying and eventually will die if we don't reach someone within the forest. You guys wouldn't happen to know a Fenna Nightfall?" Cooper asked anxiously.

Maron stared at Cooper like he was a mad man while Morton had a blank face. The conkeldurr looked at Cooper with an annoyed expression and said, "Nightfall of all people. Damn. Yes. I know her. And I know why you need to see her now. If you are truly running out of time. Then we have to go. Maron. Go get Mary. And make haste. We're leaving now," Morton said to Maron firmly. The rhydon ran through a few trees and out of Cooper's sight. Morton walked over to Cooper using the two concrete pillars to help him move until he was only a few feet away from him. "I didn't catch your name boy."

"It's Cooper Verlidian," Cooper responded still amazed that he was able to talk.

Morton stared at Cooper puzzledly. It almost looked like he was studying him. "Verlidian. How interesting," Morton said staring at Cooper for a few more seconds before walking away.

"Wait. How's that interesting? Do you know something about me? Or something about my parents?" Cooper asked curiously.

Morton turned to Cooper and looked at him. "Of course not. I thought maybe I had heard your last name somewhere before. But I think I was wrong," Morton said turning back around and walking the same way Maron had gone. Morton knew something. Cooper knew that. And he was determined to find out.

Cooper caught up to the conkeldurr and walked besides him. "Are you sure?" Cooper asked hoping to get Morton to say something.

"Yes. I am sure. I was just mistaken. Now let us go to Nightfall," Morton said nudging cooper on the shoulder before picking up the pace.

 _Do not persist Verlidian. Focus on getting to Fenna._ Sleepy said.

 _Why? Is there something you're trying to keep from me as well? I want answers if this is about my parents._ Cooper demanded. He saw Maron and a wigglytuff, which Cooper guessed was Mary, sitting and talking.

 _Listen to me well Cooper. I have learned a great many things in my life and seen much with my eyes and even more so with my mind. Out of all the people you have met and will meet. There is no other wiser or more trustworthy than I. And either you accept that or you deny it. It is your choice. But listen close Cooper Verlidian. Your parents were complicated people. And though I do know something about them. It is not yet the time nor the place for me to tell you. But if you trust me. Eventually I will tell you the truth. But please Cooper. Keep on your way for now. Dwell on this no longer._ Sleepy warned.

Cooper still had questions and wanted nothing more than to persist. Why wouldn't he. His grandparents never talked about his parents. They never even mentioned his father's or his mother's name now that he thought about it. All they told Cooper was his parents loved each other and him so much. Cooper never bothered to beg to know more. Quite frankly he didn't care then. Now. With everything that was going on. He wanted to know more. Just in case things took a turn for the worse. But that didn't matter right now. Cooper and Morton approached the two sitting down who seemed to have not have noticed them yet.

"Alright!" Morton yelled making both Mary and Maron jump. "You two better be ready. We got a long road ahead of us. We're heading northeast to the Unseen Forest," Morton said lifting a heavy-looking brown bag off the ground and over his arm with ease and then placing his hand back on one of the concrete pillars.

"Jeez. Was that necessary Morton?" Maron asked grabbing his bag and another smaller bag. Cooper noticed Mary staring at him like he was a ghost.

"Of course it's necessary. We must always be prepared for an attack. You never know when a Scourgian might jump out of nowhere," Morton said with a large smile on his face.

"Scourgian?" Cooper asked at the new term.

"Yeah. Scourgian. You don't use that term?" Morton asked back looking at Cooper as if he should've know that.

"Not… really. At least I don't think we do," Cooper said remembering how Conter Valley was so secluded from the kingdom.

"So somehow you're able to walk perfectly despite suffering plenty of injuries that should've killed you," Mary said walking around and inspecting Cooper.

"Yeah. Um. It's complicated. I'll explain along the way," Cooper said feeling uncomfortable as Mary continued to inspect him.

"Mary. Leave the boy alone. We have to go. His injuries are still serious and need healing. So let us be going," Morton said walking away.

"Are you sure this Fenna Nightfall is in the Unseen Forest?" Maron asked with a worried expression on his face.

"No," Cooper said. Both Mary and Maron stared at him. "I mean. I'm pretty confident she's there. Right Morton?"

"Oh she's there alright. Never left. At least. Not in a long time," Morton said looking a bit sad. Cooper wondered how Morton knew Fenna. Clearly she must've had a strong healing ability or a specific way to treat him if she was his only hope.

Cooper decided it was best to find out the answers when they got there. As for now. He continued to walk and admire the way his body moved with ease. _How long does this last Sleepy?_ Cooper asked curiously wondering if it could be used as a technique for battle.

 _Too long. And do not be thinking about turning this "trick" I have taught you into a technique Cooper. It is dangerous. As it does make you immune to pain. It does not make you immune to damage. You'll become obsessed with it. You'll feel… nothing. Nothing at all. Until eventually. It'll become apart of you. Until you lose control of it. And forget how to turn it off._ Sleepy said grimly.

Cooper felt a shiver run down his spine. _Feel nothing? What do you define as nothing?_ Cooper asked hesitantly.

 _Nothing. Not the taste of food… or the taste of water… or the feeling of a woman…._ Sleepy said getting quieter each time. _Forgive me Cooper. I do not wish to scare you. Just to warn and protect you. Do not become fond of this trick. That is all._

It was too late if Sleepy did not wish to scare Cooper. He looked at his right foreleg as he walked. And as much as he did not want to feel pain. He was too scared to care. He focused on the energy in his leg and released a little bit of it on the skin. He felt sudden pain shoot across it like burns. He made sure to leave his paw and the bones along with the flesh around them untouched so he could still move.

 _There. I let some of the pain on the skin of my leg come back. Just to make sure._ Cooper thought.

 _That is… wise. Very wise._ Sleepy said as if he was thinking about something.

Before Cooper got the chance to ask what Sleepy was thinking. Ahead him only a few miles away laid Conter Valley. Shattered and broken. There laid his home. His life. There laid where he met Elise and Ana. Where he met a sister and a lover. And the Unseen Forest was northeast. Directly through the valley. Cooper took a deep breath and began to walk towards his destroyed home.

* * *

 **That honestly took a long time to write. Might've seemed like a short chapter. But I put a lot of thought into it. A lot of passion. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.**

 **I'd also like to address that I am no expert in canine anatomy. So if I slipped up somewhere. Forgive me.**

 **If you haven't read the status in my bio. It basically says that these chapters might be coming every two weeks. Might. Being the key word. Depends on if I'm writing my other story or if I'm thinking etc.. I hope you can understand.**

 **Anyways. Criticism and reviews are always appreciated. They help me improve as a writer and person. And I'll see you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	12. Fallout

**This chapter came out longer than I had previously assumed. I thought I would be able to get it out yesterday. But alas. It took a lot longer.**

 **But I'm glad I was able to get it out even if it's late. I just hope you guys like it. Certainly took a while.**

 **I have nothing else to say really. So. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11:**

 **Fallout**

* * *

Cooper walked quietly besides his travelling companions frequently checking his injuries. He couldn't help but question the extent of the ability that allowed him to move in a broken body. Part of him wanted to see how far he could take it and what he could do with it. But the other part remembered what Sleepy told him and what would happen if Cooper tried to. He used the pain in right foreleg as a reminder for that.

Conter Valley was only about half a mile away and Cooper was still anxious even after trying to tell himself they were only walking through. But deep inside he desperately wanted to look around the village one last time before he left it for who knows how long.

 _How much time do I have left Sleepy?_ Cooper asked looking at his leg again.

 _Not much. Thankfully your body can suffer the damage for a good while whereas any other normal person would have died a very long time ago. And stop looking at your injuries. It only makes it worse._ Sleepy said.

 _I'm fine. Also. Do you mean my body can last longer because of the ability?_ Cooper asked curiously.

 _Well. Essentially yes. But it's more complicated than that._ Sleepy said.

Cooper pondered what Sleepy said and remembered the moment he conjured up an ability he had never heard of before. He used that ability to destroy the rubble that was on top of him that left a massive crater where his house once stood.

 _Does it have something to do with Gigavolt Havoc?_ Cooper asked. He felt a rumble go up and down his body and a deep growl in his mind.

"You okay kid?" Morton asked eyeing Cooper worriedly.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. Just a little cold," Cooper lied.

 _Yes. But do not use those words lightly. They mean much more than you could imagine. Only use it in dire situations._ Sleepy warned.

"Yeah. Well. Hopefully you'll get warmer here pretty soon. We're about to enter the village," Mary said with a grim expression.

Cooper must've been talking to Sleepy for too long as he and the others approached a destroyed house. Cooper stared at it unable to take his eyes off. _How could they…_ Cooper thought feeling tears fill his eyes.

 _They are Scourge Cooper. They feel no emotion besides anger and rage. They feel no empathy and have no mercy. And this is only the beginning. Do not stay long._ Sleepy said in a deep voice.

"Kid. We have to go," Morton said looking at him.

"I… I know. Just a few minutes. That's all," Cooper said while looking over the damage on Conter Valley. What was once one of the great achievements of the people who came to the valley three-hundred years ago had now been reduced down to rubble and ash. Cooper felt his emotions boil. He felt sad and angry all at the same time. He wanted nothing more than to get revenge. He wanted nothing more than to hunt down the Scourge himself and make them suffer.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and looked to his left to see Morton looking at him. "I understand what you're going through. I know what it feels like. To see your home destroyed and your friends and family slaughtered. You want revenge. I understand. But we must pick our battles. You are in no condition to fight. For now. Leave this place with us. Let us go to Fenna where you can be healed. And when the time's right. You will have your revenge. I promise," Morton said patting Cooper on the shoulder gently before placing his hand back on one of the concrete pillars.

 _He is right Cooper. Be on your way for now. Try your best to get through._ Sleepy said.

 _Yeah. Yeah I know. I'll… I'll try._ Cooper said feeling tears fill his eyes and roll down his face. Suddenly Cooper felt something run through his body. He couldn't understand what it was. But he felt his mood lift and he calmed down.

 _You will get through this Cooper. I promise._ Sleepy said comforting Cooper.

 _Was that you?_ Cooper asked wiping away the tears.

 _I will explain later. Be on your way._ Sleepy said.

Cooper shook his head a little and prepared himself for what was to come. "Thank you Morton. I think I'm good now. We should really get going," Cooper said as he started to walk again.

"I'm glad," Morton said following behind him. "Don't worry. We'll be out of here soon enough."

 _I sure hope so._ Cooper thought looking down so he wouldn't have to look at the village.

"Um. Cooper. I don't know if this would be a good time. But you mentioned somebody named Elise earlier and that you had to reach her. Are you sure she's still…" Maron trailed off.

"Alive. She is. Somebody told me she was fine while I was buried under my house," Cooper said remembering someone named Alan telling him that she was safe. At least that was what he had been told. He didn't know for sure.

 _She's alive._ Sleepy said out of nowhere.

"Well that's good. Um. What was she to you?" Maron asked walking next to Cooper.

 _You said to me that you are watching over her and the villagers. Does that mean that you are in all of their minds too?_ Cooper asked.

"She's my mate. Hopefully," Cooper said feeling sadness come over him.

 _Yes. But I'm only speaking to two people within the group._ Sleepy said. Even if Sleepy was only speaking with two people. Cooper was shocked at how he was able to be in the minds of all of the villagers. Cooper theorized that Sleepy had to be a powerful psychic type pokemon to listen to that many people.

"What do you mean hopefully? Did something happen?" Maron asked quickly.

 _Is Elise one of them?_ Cooper asked hoping she was.

"Well. I. I did something stupid. And…. And I'm afraid I might've ruined our relationship," Cooper said remembering how she had run out on him.

 _Hmm. She is. The other I will not say for now. But yes. She is one of the two that I speak too._ Sleepy said.

"What did you do?" Maron questioned again making Cooper uncomfortable.

"Maron. You're asking too many questions again," Mary said swatting Maron on the head.

 _How long have you been speaking with her for?_ Cooper asked.

"Hey. Jeez. I'm sorry," Maron said keeping his distance from Mary.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Mary said sounding like a mother for a second.

 _A very long time._ Sleepy said.

"Yeah. Um. Sorry Cooper. I didn't mean to persist. It won't happen again," Maron said bowing his head for a second.

"It's fine really. Talking helps. Well. What happ-" Cooper suddenly stopped as the main part of the village where most of the houses lined up was directly in their path. He stared at the collapsed houses. But the worst part was the rotting bodies that trailed the street. He saw countless people that he had known before. Most bodies had been burnt or crushed leaving them disfigured and dismembered. He was frozen in place from the pure horror that lie in front of him.

"My god…" Mary said besides Cooper.

"Look down kid. Follow next to me closely," Morton said rubbing Cooper's back gently. Cooper did as Morton said and looked down. He felt overwhelming sadness fill his mind and was on the brink of tears.

 _Sleepy. Help me._ Cooper said closing his eyes. He felt that same feeling from earlier run through his body again and clear up his sadness. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes but did not look up. _Thank you._

 _Of course._ Sleepy said.

Cooper took another deep breath and said, "Alright. Let's go."

"Stay by my side kid," Morton said beginning to walk. Cooper followed close behind keeping his head down and avoiding looking at the bodies and houses as best he could.

No one said a word for a few minutes until Cooper needed to get the village off of his mind and said, "I need to talk or here something. Um. Where do you guys come from?"

"Maron is a scholar of sorts coming from the inner walls of the capital city. Mary also comes from the capital. But from the outer walls. She's an adventurer and decided to follow me alongside Maron towards the Conter Mountains to visit this place. Glad we did," Morton said speaking for the other two as well.

 _Hey Sleepy. You said you knew Elise a long time. And you also said that you're talking with her right? So does that mean you're talking with her right now?_ Cooper asked.

"And what about you Morton?" Cooper asked nearly looking up but forcing his head back down.

 _Not at this moment. She is resting._ Sleepy said.

"Me. Hmm. Well. I'd rather keep my past a secret for now kid. Don't worry. I haven't told anyone about who I am. Don't feel left out," Morton said nudging Cooper.

 _Well. When she wakes up. Can you maybe… deliver a few words to her for me?_ Cooper asked hoping Sleepy would say yes.

"That's fine. Maron. Mary. Have any family?" Cooper said a little loudly so the two behind him could hear.

"Yeah. A rather big one actually," Maron said. "Just about every one of them is a scholar like me. And the few that aren't are shop owners. I have quite a few siblings as well. There's-"

"HEY! IS ANYONE THERE?! HELP! PLEASE HELP ME!" a muffled voice yelled from Cooper's left. He immediately looked up and to his left ignoring the bodies he saw. He saw a large heap of debris between two collapsed houses. "HELP!" the voice called out again from under the rubble.

Cooper darted to the debris quickly and yelled, "Hey! Don't worry! We're going to get you out! Just hold on!" Cooper searched for an opening. But the rubble looked like it had been sealed shut by fire that had connected the debris to the ground.

"Move kid!" Morton said lifting up the two concrete pillars in his hands and slamming them down on to the rubble. Cooper felt the rock beneath him shake and he steadied himself making sure not to fall. Though the slam looked powerful. The debris had barely been cracked. "What?" Morton said staring at the rock in awe. He lifted up the pillars again and slammed them onto the debris once again. But like the first time. The ground still remained strong.

"HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" the voice said from beneath the debris.

"Are you not able to break it Morton?" Mary asked looking around the debris.

"No. My pillars do nothing to it," Morton said trying again.

 _Sleepy! What do we do?_ Cooper asked.

 _Get out of the way._ Sleepy said in a deep voice.

 _What are you going to do._ Cooper asked.

 _Just move._ Sleepy said again.

"Morton! We need to move out of the way!" Cooper said.

"What? Why?" Morton asked looking at Cooper.

"Just trust me," Cooper said getting away from the rubble. Morton looked like he wanted to ask another question but instead followed Cooper out of the way.

They walked a good distance away from the debris and stood watching it intently. A minuted passed and Cooper thought Sleepy would've done something by now. _Sleepy. Do you plan on doing anything?_ Cooper asked impatiently.

Maron looked at Cooper and asked, "Is something supposed to be happening?"

"Yeah. Supposed to. Maybe-" Cooper was cut off by the sound of a large boom and a large bolt of lighting that struck the debris with a force that shook the ground violently. The four stared at the debris in disbelief as it was vaporized. Cooper knew what this looked like. He did the same thing to his house. And he only said two words. Now that he was seeing it from a distance. He had not taken into account the power he had. The bolt of lighting lasted for only a couple of seconds. But it had completely wiped away the debris including the two houses next to it. Cooper was still frozen by what had just occurred.

"Cooper. You want to explain what the hell just happened?" Maron asked looking at him.

"Honestly. You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Cooper said still trying to fathom at the idea that Sleepy must've been an electric type pokemon with the same ability that Cooper had. But how could he both a physic and electric type.

"After that. I could believe anything," Maron said looking between Cooper and the debris.

"Tell us later. Right now we have to see who was calling for help," Morton said running over to where the debris once was.

 _Cooper. Tell them it was you. They would believe that after finding you in the crater you had created. You must not let them know that I am in your mind._ Sleepy said.

 _You did the same thing I did._ Cooper said surprised walking following Morton.

 _Yes. Except I know how to control it. But that doesn't matter right now. Worry about who was under the debris and do not tell them it was me._ Sleepy said.

 _Fine. But I'll want answers later._ Cooper said.

 _That is understandable._ Sleepy said back.

Cooper caught up to Morton until he was able to see who had been trapped in the debris. Though Cooper was glad someone was still alive. He was not happy to see that of all the people it had been Ethan. The krookodile sat in the middle of where the debris was before it was struck by lightning. He looked both relieved and shocked.

"How? How d-did you do that?" Ethan asked standing up. Cooper realized that Ethan had a front row seat to the light show that just taken place. He must've been scared out of his mind. Maron and Mary looked at Cooper. Ethan's gaze fell upon Cooper and his face turned from shock and relief to a frown. "You? How'd you…" Ethan trailed off. Cooper saw a look of horror on his face. "What the hell happened to you?"

"It's a long story. The better question is. How did you get stuck under the debris?" Cooper asked wondering if he had hidden there.

Ethan looked down. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something but closed it immediately. He opened his mouth again and said, "They… trapped me under there. They thought it was funny. I heard… death. Cries and screams. I've been under there for four weeks. And I can't explain why. But I never felt hungry or thirst and my body feels fine. But… I…." Cooper watched the bully he had known since childhood cry. Something he'd never thought he see. But Cooper didn't feel happy to see him cry. He felt bad for Ethan because he went through the same thing. They both had seen and heard many terrible things. And more importantly. They both had to watch their home burn and crumble.

Morton walked over to Ethan and patted him on the back. "It's alright. You're alright now," Morton said comforting the krookodile.

"How do you two know each other? I mean. Besides being in the same village of course," Maron asked.

Ethan opened his mouth but Cooper spoke before he had the chance, "We know each other from school." Ethan looked at Cooper with a confused face. Cooper turned away quickly.

"I see. What's your name?" Maron asked looking Ethan.

"Ethan," Ethan responded quietly.

"Well Ethan. Us four are heading northeast to the Unseen Forest. You should tag along seeing as how your legs still work," Morton said giving Ethan one last pat on the back before walking over to Cooper.

"The Unseen Forest?! Are you crazy? Why? The survivors most likely went north. We should be trying to reach them," Ethan said looking at the four of them as if they were all mad.

"Yes. We should. But as you can see here. Cooper is not in good shape. In fact. He's dying as we speak and someone named Fenna in the Unseen Forest is the only person capable enough to heal him. I'm afraid we must head northeast," Morton said.

"That's impossible. There's no way only one person can heal him," Ethan said looking at Cooper sternly.

"If you choose to believe what we're saying or not is you choice. If you want to go to the villagers. By all means go ahead. But I warn you. Walking alone in the Conter Mountains with the Scourge as active as they are is not the best idea. But it's your choice. We're heading northeast. You can follow if you want," Morton said beginning to walk again.

Cooper saw that Ethan wanted badly to continue arguing. He looked at Cooper and asked, "How are you able to walk then? Those injuries look terrible. And what about Elise? Don't you want to see if she's still alive?"

"She's still alive! I know because someone told me trying to lift my own damn house off my back. And yes. I want to see her more than anything right now. But I want to see her alive. Not dead. My body is broken. But my will to survive is not," Cooper said. "If you have any sense left in you. You will come with us. We'll see them again. Even if it's a long time from now."

Ethan stared at Cooper intently. Cooper couldn't tell if he was angry or sad. The krookodile took a deep breath and said, "Fine. Let's go kill ourselves in the Unseen Forest."

"That's the spirit!" Morton said mockingly. Ethan gave the conkeldurr a hard stare. But Morton seemed unaffected. "Alright let's go. The Scourge can be anywhere." Morton started walking again at a slow pace so Cooper could catch up. Ethan followed them keeping his distance from Cooper.

"So. Now that we're back on track. You mind telling where that bolt of lighting came from Cooper?" Maron asked getting next to him.

"Um. I… I just managed to do it from my mind. There's nothing to it really," Cooper lied trying to keep Sleepy a secret.

"Nothing to it? That was the largest bolt of lightning I've ever seen. No normal person can do what you did. Is that how the crater we found you in was made?" Mary asked.

"Yeah. Except I didn't know I could do it then," Cooper responded.

 _Hey Sleepy. Could you maybe teach me how to control this power?_ Cooper asked.

"Do what?" Ethan asked behind him.

"I honestly don't know what it is. I never knew I could do it," Cooper said. A thought came to Cooper's mind at that same moment. He was secretly the fastest person in the world after running at a speed of ninety-six miles per hour in the mountains. Maybe his speed came from the power he had. Maybe it came from Gigavolt Havoc. The next thought that came to his mind was that Sleepy had not answered him. _Sleepy? Hello? You there?_ Cooper asked.

"Is it also the reason you're able to even walk?" Mary asked.

"Yeah. I can't explain it," Cooper said looking at his right foreleg. It seemed he must've moved it the wrong way as a fresh blood stain was just above his paw. Every time he looked at his body he thought about the fact that he wasn't fine. That he couldn't go to Elise because he was dying. It made him feel sad every time he thought about it. _Sleepy? Why aren't you responding?_ Cooper asked again hoping for some kind of response.

 _YES. Yes I'm here. Stop your whining._ Sleepy said.

"Can anyone do it?" Ethan asked.

 _Well maybe answer next time. What were you doing?_ Cooper asked. "I don't think so. If anyone could. Wouldn't we have seen someone do it already," Cooper responded.

 _I was talking to Elise. I accidentally woke her up._ Sleepy said.

"Probably. Maybe it's just you," Maron said.

 _Really? How?_ Cooper asked intrigued.

"No. It's not just him. This person we're going to. Fenna Nightfall. The reason she's the only one who could heal Cooper is because she has whatever 'it' is. I thought at first it might just be that she had really powerful healing capabilities. But now I think it might be something more after seeing what you did," Morton said looking at Cooper.

 _She heard me use Gigavolt Havoc._ Sleepy said.

"Maybe she knows what it is," Mary said.

 _How? Wouldn't I have heard you use it too?_ Cooper asked. "Hopefully. I would like to know how to control it," Cooper said knowing that Sleepy could easily teach him.

 _No. I told you before. I have been talking to her for a very long time while I've talked to you for less than a day. My connection to her is a very strong one. Sometimes she can hear my thoughts even when I try to block them out._ Sleepy explained. Cooper felt jealousy come over him. He didn't know how old Sleepy was or who was. It annoyed him that Sleepy and Elise shared thoughts most of the time. _Be steady Cooper. I am much too old for her and I see her as a daughter. Never a lover. Plus. Most of her thoughts are about you._ Sleepy said making Cooper feel better.

"We'll know once we get there. So Ethan. Tell me about yourself. Best to get to know one another since we'll be travelling together for a while," Morton said. Cooper did his best to ignore the conversation as he was more interested in talking about Elise and he already knew who Ethan was.

 _What's she saying right now?_ Cooper asked wanting to know how she was doing.

 _She won't stop asking me about why I used Gigavolt Havoc again. She's worried that the Scourge are coming._ Sleepy said. _Hmm. I don't want to tell her that you are alive yet._

 _What?! You haven't told her yet?_ Cooper asked shocked.

 _Your body is broken Cooper. I do not know if you will make it to Fenna alive. I do not want to break her heart a fourth time._ Sleepy said.

 _A fourth time?_ Cooper asked.

 _I have been in the minds of the people of Conter Valley from their birth. Including yours. I know that you made a bet. I told you that she is like a daughter to me. When she found out that you made a bet. I wanted nothing more than to call down a storm of hell and pain to kill you myself. But. Seeing as how you mattered so much to her even after she found out. I restrained myself. And during the evacuation of the valley. Her father died to the Scourge. And then the search parties told her you were dead as well. She has lost so much in such a short time. Do you understand now?_ Sleepy said in a deep voice. Cooper winced at the thought of Sleepy wanting to kill him. It made him understand that Sleepy could kill him at any moment with just two words.

 _Yeah. I understand. Can you tell her I'm alive. And that I'm sorry._ Cooper said feeling sadness fill him again.

 _No._ Sleepy said quickly.

 _What? Why?_ Cooper asked confused.

 _I do not respect you enough Cooper. And I do not trust you enough to make it to Fenna alive. I also think you do not deserve to talk to her for what you've done._ Sleepy said harshly.

Cooper felt anger run through his head. _Please! I want to say a few things if I don't make it. I want her to know the truth. Please!_ Cooper begged.

Sleepy went quiet for a few minutes leaving Cooper waiting for an answer. _No. I don't want you to tell her a few things in case you die. If I let you talk to her. I want you to promise her that you will survive. Even if you must crawl your way to Fenna. Even if you must leave everyone else behind to reach her. I want you to promise her that you will survive._ Sleepy demanded.

Cooper understood that Sleepy was more than serious. If Cooper wanted to talk to Elise. He had to make sure he survived. Cooper thought of the journey that lie ahead of him. He knew that it was long and treacherous. But if it meant seeing and talking to Elise once more. He planned on surviving. _I'll survive. I promise I'll survive._ Cooper said with confidence.

 _I don't want you to promise to me. You will promise to her._ Sleepy said.

 _Well. Can you tell her that I promised?_ Cooper asked confused.

 _No. You will tell her. I will connect your minds through my own so you can talk to her yourself._ Sleepy said making such a thing sound easy. Though Cooper was amazed that Sleepy could do that.

 _How?_ Cooper asked in disbelief.

 _It doesn't matter right now. I just told her that you are alive and that you want to talk to her. Be thorough Cooper. Eventually once you go far enough from the mountains. I will not be able to talk to or hear you. And this might be the only time I let you talk to her._ Sleepy said. Cooper wondered why Sleepy could only reach them from the mountains. Did he live in them somewhere?

Cooper pushed the thought away to think about it later as he felt another conscience touch his own and heard the soft and gently voice of Elise speak to him. _Cooper?_ Hearing her voice filled Cooper with indescribable joy.

 _Hi Elise._ Cooper responded.

 _Oh my god…. They told me you were dead. I thought you were dead…._ Elise cried.

 _Not quite yet my love._ Cooper said back.

 _But how? They told me you were crushed and burned. And what do you mean not quite yet?_ Elise asked.

 _Well. I had a couple broken ribs. My spine is somewhat fractured. And my right foreleg may be useless now. But I'm fine otherwise._ Cooper tried to explain as easily as he could.

 _THAT DOESN'T SOUND FINE! It's been four weeks Cooper! You've been dead for four weeks! Did you not want to talk to me? Did you not want me to know that you were still alive you bastard?!_ Elise said. Cooper heard her begin to cry.

 _I… couldn't. I've been in a coma for those four weeks. I'm sorry Elise. About everything. I never imagined that I'd fall in love with you. I didn't realize it. I was stupid for making that bet. I'm so sorry Elise. I love you so much. I want to be there to tell you that myself. But I'm not going to be able to see you for a long time._ Cooper said grimly.

 _What? Why not? Aren't you coming to us?_ Elise asked.

 _No... My injuries are... bad. Really bad. The only way I'm standing right now is from an ability I never knew I had. And if I don't reach someone in the Unseen Forest. I'll die. But I promise you I will survive to see you again. I promise you Elise._ Cooper said firmly.

 _The Unseen Forest! Damn it Cooper! I can't take this…. You're driving me crazy. First you make a bet on me then you die and come back to life to go kill yourself again. Do you even care how much this hurts?! Do you care at all?!_ Elise yelled into his mind.

Cooper felt tears form in his eyes and said. _I do care Elise. More than anything. Please. You have to trust me. I love you and I promise you I'll get to you as soon as I can. Please wait for me._ Cooper pleaded.

Cooper waited a few minutes before Elise finally answered. _I'm sorry Cooper. I don't trust you anymore… I can't…._ Elise said. _I can't do this anymore…. Don't bother coming back…. Goodbye Cooper._

 _Wait! Elise! Please!_ Cooper tried. But he couldn't feel her conscience anymore. Cooper looked away from the others to hide his face. He felt empty inside. He hadn't felt that sad since his grandfather died. He didn't know what to do anymore. He felt a new emotion fill his body that made him think. _I should've died with the rest. Maybe… I should die with the rest…_ Cooper thought painfully.

 _NO!_ Sleepy bellowed into Cooper's mind giving him a headache. _HOW DARE YOU VERLIDIAN?! YOU THINK DYING WILL MAKE ANYTHING BETTER?! YOU GODDAMN FOOL! YOU WILL STAY ALIVE AND KEEP YOUR PROMISE TO HER! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF YOU HAVE TO WALK HUNDREDS OF MILES I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO WALK A MILLION! YOU WILL HOLD TRUE TO YOUR PROMISE!_

 _Why?! It doesn't matter anyways! What will I do afterwards?! What else is there to live for?!_ Cooper yelled back.

 _You think you have nothing left to live for? You think you've lost everything? No. You shame the people of Conter Valley if you think you think killing yourself is the only way out. You have been given a second chance. Something not a lot of people get. I would use it wisely if I were you._ Sleepy warned.

 _What the hell do you know? You're just a voice in my head._ Cooper retaliated.

 _I may just be a voice. But I know much more about loss than you ever could. I lost my people to the Scourge. I lost my family to the Scourge. My home to the Scourge. And… I lost my love to the Scourge. Ruan took those things from me and he plans to do the same with the rest of the world. I don't know if you've realized it yet. But you serve a far bigger purpose to the war that is to come with the ability you posses. Just because you don't feel like living does not mean you must punish everyone else for it. Listen well Cooper. You will make the trip to the Unseen Forest to get healed by Fenna and I will teach you how to control Gigavolt Havoc along the way. Once you have been healed. You will come find me here in the mountains where I will finish your training. And from there it will be up to you._ Sleepy said.

 _What about Elise? And how would I find you in the mountains if I don't even know where to look? What about the Scourge?_ Cooper asked irritated.

 _In time you will understand Cooper. For now. Continue your journey. You have a long one ahead of you._ Sleepy said.

Cooper had so many questions and complaints. He didn't want to be important. He didn't want to fight a war. He never wanted any of this. _Sleepy. If I do this. What happens next?_ Cooper asked.

 _I cannot read the future Cooper. That is something that you must find out for yourself._ Sleepy said.

Cooper was still not satisfied with what Sleepy was telling him. But he was also not persistent enough to continue to ask questions. So he asked the easiest question he could. _If you and Fenna are like me. Than that means that there are others right. Could you at least tell me who?_ Cooper asked.

 _There are others. But you will have to meet them yourself. Do not worry yourself Cooper. You are not alone in this war._ Sleepy said.

Cooper stopped and looked at the mountains. He had never been out of the valley before. He had never expected for things to go this way. All he wanted was a normal life. To live in a house with a mate and some pups. To live with Elise. He knew that she would never love him again. He knew that once he said sorry to her in person. That would be the last time he would ever get to talk to her. She would find someone else to love. It hurt him to know that. But he had to accept it.

"Kid? What's the matter?" Morton asked looking at him.

Cooper took a deep breath and said, "Nothing. I just hope. We could reclaim this place one day."

Morton smiled and said, "Trust me kid. We will. But right now. We must heal you before we can fight. Let's get a move on. We have no time to lose."

Cooper nodded and caught up with them. A journey that Cooper had never expected lied in front of him. Cooper didn't know what he would face or what he would have to do. But he knew that he had Gigavolt Havoc for a reason. And that he would have to use it to fight a terrible war. This was only the beginning of his journey. And only the beginning of the war against the Scourge.

* * *

 **You know what the hardest part about making this story is? The checking. I already told you guys that I check for mistakes and errors after I finish writing a chapter and before I post it. Just to be safe. But god it sucks. After knowing what will happen. I can't help but be annoyed by having to read through all of it again to make sure. But it has to be done. And I don't want anyone else holding the burden.**

 **Also. If the mental and social conversations side by side are confusing. Forgive me. I don't know how to put it otherwise.**

 **I just wanted you guys to know that I an grateful for your support. Especially the ones who have and will be here with me the longest. It means so much to me because I never thought I'd ever get this far or get this much support. It means more than you could imagine. So thank you. From the bottom of my heart.**

 **Anyways. Criticism and reviews are very much appreciated as always. I'll see you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	13. The City of Aaron

**I felt good about writing this chapter. It was fun to write and I'm glad to be getting it out.**

 **"Insert words here_." Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12:**

 **The City of Aaron**

* * *

Time and time again as Arthur traveled with Vincent he questioned how he was going to save his people. He needed enough blood to cure over two million and a hundred thousand people. He practically needed all of Zulev's blood. But he couldn't drag a titan's body all the way from the west mountains back to the kingdom. Four weeks had passed and he was only three-quarters of the way there. And that all depended on if it was possible for him to kill Zulev. Was his secret ability strong enough? In his travels he had attempted to practice with it. But it never responded every time he tried to activate it. He assumed that there was another way to use it besides being able to make it work on the go like other normal abilities. He just couldn't figure out what that way was.

It also didn't help that the word about his disappearance had spread across the kingdom withing just a week. Patrols had been searching every city and village for Arthur which forced him to walk around while Vincent would buy food, water, and other necessities for their trip to the west.

But that hadn't bothered Arthur. At least not until they approached the city of Aaron. The massive city had been built off the backbone of the original castle that the first Divine King Aaron Scourgebane had worked from to purge the Scourge from the land ending the Age of Death as the scholars called it. The old castle lied in the center of the city where King Aaron Scourgebane was buried along with his knights the Scourge Slayers. No one was allowed to enter the castle without special permission from the Earl of the city or the king himself. It was considered sacred property. Arthur had always admired the tales of the ancient king and his knights. King Aaron earned the title Scourgebane after slaying the king of the Scourge and his Scourge Slayers earned their titles after hunting down and killing the remnants of the Scourge army showing no mercy. It was a tale told to every child. Just in a nicer way. Now that Arthur stared at the castle. He wondered if the battle that was fought so long ago would have to be fought again with the Scourge plague on the capital.

"Prince Arthur?" Vincent asked looking at him.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine," Arthur responded shaking his head.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Vincent asked him.

"Um. No. Sorry. What did you say?" Arthur responded feeling stupid.

The lucario looked at him annoyed. "We need to be heading west pass the city. But unfortunately for us. The only way over Maria's River for ground types like you and myself is to walk across the bridge in the city. So we have no choice but to walk through the city without anyone seeing you. So. As I do not see another way as to reach the bridge before nightfall. You'll have to wear my coat so you won't be seen," Vincent said taking off his coat.

As much as Arthur wanted to refuse Vincent. They had no choice. Maria's River which was named after King Aaron's wife was a wide and long river that ran through a large canyon. It stretched all the way from the east to the west and than north. The bridge in the city was one of the Twelve Great Bridges that had been built to make crossing the canyon for ground pokemon easy. And unfortunately the next closest bridge was about another weeks travel. So they had no choice but to cross the bridge as soon as possible since they were running out of time. At moments like these. Arthur wished that Vincent's invisibility spell that got them out of the capital worked on large crowds. But unfortunately after reaching the first village on their travels. Arthur learned that Vincent could only conceal them from so many. And so they were out of options.

Arthur took the coat from Vincent and wrapped it around himself. Although he was hidden. Vincent was a lucario and Arthur was an arcanine. The coat was quite large on him. So long that it would drag if Arthur walked. "This is… a bit long," Arthur said.

Vincent got closer and looked at the coat. He raised his paw and with a swift movement cut the coat in multiple places to conceal Arthur without making him look like an idiot. "That should be better. I suggest keeping your head down and that hood on Prince Arthur. It will be bad if we get caught," Vincent suggested walking towards the city.

"I know," Arthur said following Vincent. Arthur knew if he was found. He would most likely be hauled back to the castle and questioned heavily. As if he didn't have enough bad reputation. Leaving the castle while the people were dying was probably going to get him assassinated. Or at least he thought it would. He also thought about what would happen to Vincent if he they were caught together. The royal guard would most likely imprison him for helping Arthur.

Arthur looked at Vincent. After getting far enough from the castle. Arthur wanted to get answers out of Vincent about who he was and how he managed to get him and Arthur passed the guards without being seen. But the only thing Arthur got was that Vincent's last name was Magier. Even after the strange lucario told him he would answer most of Arthur's questions to the best of his ability. Arthur persisted for the weeks that followed but never got anything besides Vincent's last name. And though he did not trust VIncent. He needed his help more than anything if he wanted to reach Zulev.

They approached the gates to the city where four guards stood watch. One of the guards who was a sandslash said, "Who are you two and why have you come to the city of Aaron?"

"We wish to enter the city to visit an old friend. It's been quite a long time since we've seen him. This is his nephew. Unfortunately he's caught something nasty and looks quite horrendous. He's too embarrassed to show his face so he's wearing a hood. I hope you guys don't mind," Vincent said. Arthur looked at the lucario from under his hood sternly. But Vincent kept looking at the guard.

The sandslash looked back at the other guards before turning back to Vincent and saying, "You do know the people in the city have caught a plague, right? We didn't realize it until we had gotten a message from the capital that there had been a bad plague and that the berries were the cause. We rounded up all the berries and found the Scourge that had done it. But we weren't fast enough to save most."

Arthur looked between the guards and into the city. It looked barren. He didn't notice it from before due to the hood on his head.

"Really? That is rather upsetting to hear. Is it just the capital and the city?" Vincent asked looking worried.

"I wish. But it would seem that Drachen City had also been plagued. And two weeks ago. We had gotten a message that the villagers of Conter Valley had been attacked by Scourge. Just about a quarter of the valley was killed. They're being escorted to the town of Palan as we speak. But. It would seem that one of the great bridges has collapsed and the people are now making their way to another great bridge to the east," the guard said looking defeated.

Arthur realized at that moment that the plague on the capital was no random scheme by the Scourge. With two other cities plagued and the people of Conter Valley attacked. This was an invasion. A coordinated attack. _Destroy the population with a plague and then attack us when we're vulnerable._ Arthur thought fearfully. A war was coming. And it was coming soon. And the royal army didn't stand a chance.

"I see. That is sad to hear," Vincent said.

"Indeed. Well. Don't let us keep you waiting. You may pass," the sandslash said moving out of the way with the other guards. Vincent beckoned Arthur with his paw walking through the gates. Arthur started to follow Vincent through keeping his head low as so the guards wouldn't see him. "Oh. One other thing. If the person you're looking for is on the west side of town. You'll need direct permission from the Earl of the city to cross the bridge. With one of the great bridges collapsed and the Scourge plague going around along with Prince Arthur missing. The Earl has placed the city under martial law. The times to be able to ask for permission goes from eight in the morning to eight at night. Same goes for opening and closing times for the gates. Forgive the inconvenience."

"I see. Thank you," Vincent said nodding his head. The sandslash nodded back before turning back to his post.

Arthur followed Vincent into the barren city thinking about Conter Valley. Ana came from Conter Valley. She used to live there. If she didn't leave when she did. She might've been one of the victims. _But then again. Going to the capital got her infected._ Arthur thought grimly.

He decided to push the thought away from his mind. As he walked through the city with Vincent he looked around at the few people who were out. They all looked so depressed. He'd never seen it like this before. He had been to the City of Aaron several times when he was younger. There was always crowded streets and lots of talking. It was bustling full of energy. Now it had been reduced down to nothing. Arthur felt sorry for the people. Unlike the capital. They didn't know about it until they had gotten a message about the plague. Cooper couldn't imagine how many were sick.

Another thought that swirled around in his head was how to get permission from the Earl. The good thing was that Arthur had talked to the Earl many times due to him being the prince. Her name was Myra Anders. She was a childhood friend of Arthur's father which is why she always liked to talk to Arthur and his sister. She was probably one of the nicest people that Arthur had ever met. She might even rival Ana's kindness. She took him and his sister around the city plenty of times showing them all the great spots. She even showed them King Aaron's castle once. Arthur remembered those times very vividly.

"Arthur. Listen close. We need to get permission to cross the bridge from the Earl. So I'll go talk to the Earl alone while you buy more supplies from a shop. Be careful. After that I want you to…" Vincent trailed off.

Arthur saw Vincent staring at a wall. "What? What's the matter Vincent?" Arthur asked walking over to the wall so he could see what Vincent was staring at. He looked at the wall and saw a poster and took a closer look. He wished he hadn't.

 **WANTED**

 **Arthur Drachen**

 **10,000,000**

 **Alive**

"What the hell is this?" Arthur said quietly. He looked at Vincent who looked disturbed.

"You ever heard of karma Arthur?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Arthur asked still looking at the poster.

"Well congratulations kid. It's come to bite you in the ass," Vincent said walking away from the poster.

"Wait. What do you mean?" Arthur asked catching up to Vincent.

"Don't you get it yet? They think you're the reason. You already had enough bad reputation with the kingdom and its people. Imagine what they would think after your sudden disappearance the day the capital goes into chaos. Another thing to note is that this is the one city that probably hates you the most," Vincent said looking around.

Arthur hadn't thought about that. But now that he was looking at from a different perspective. He realized how he looked. He realized what the people truly thought of him. "B-but. Why this city specifically?" Arthur asked confused.

"The castle that is still here used to be in wonderful shape believe it or not. Even if it is old. But the thirteenth Divine King wanted something from the castle. So he scavenged and destroyed pieces of it to find what he was looking for and he kept searching until the fourteenth Divine King stopped his wrath. The people here don't want something like that to happen again. But the way you've acted in the capital. They believe that you'll end up becoming just like your grandfather. And now that you've disappeared at a time like this. They get their chance to call treason on you. Do you understand what this means Arthur? This is not ordinary treason. If they catch us. I'd end up in jail for life and you'll be beaten and executed for the false killing of millions," Vincent said looking at Arthur.

Arthur winced at those words. _Execution._ Arthur thought looking around. He was being blamed for something he never did. He couldn't tell anybody the truth. Nobody would ever believe him.

"We have to cross the bridge and leave the city before the night. We can't risk staying here with so many patrols around and such a huge bounty on your head," Vincent said stopping. He looked around searching for something. Arthur waited impatiently as the lucario continued to look.

"Arthur…" a deep broken voice said.

Arthur looked up alerted. He searched around for who had said his name. But there was no one else besides Vincent. It didn't sound like Vincent's voice either. "Did you hear that Vincent?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Hear what?" Vincent said looking at Arthur.

"Arthur…" the voice said again.

"That!" Arthur said aloud.

"Shh. Are you trying to get us caught?" Vincent said looking around.

"Sorry. But I'm hearing someone say my name," Arthur said looking around. Vincent looked at him confused for a second. But his expression changed quickly to shock. He looked up to the sky.

"Come to us Arthur…" the voice said.

"Who's saying that?" Arthur said scared.

Vincent then looked back down at Arthur and asked, "What does the voice sound like Arthur?"

"I don't know. It's sound sort of like a deep, cracked voice. I swear I'm not lying," Arthur said.

"I know you're not," Vincent said looking up again. "Damn it. We can't leave the city yet. Alright listen. We'll get a place to stay for the night and leave the moment the gates open."

"What? Why? I thought we had to leave now. What if we get caught?" Arthur asked.

"Come to us Arthur…" the deep cracked voice said again.

"Leave me alone," Arthur said getting annoyed.

"Come Arthur. Let's go find an inn," Vincent said walking quickly.

"Will you answer me," Arthur said catching up to Vincent.

"You have to trust me Arthur. I know it's confusing. But you have to trust me," Vincent said.

 _Not this bullshit again._ Arthur thought. "Damn it. What are you planning on doing this time?" Arthur questioned.

"Shh. I can see an inn up ahead. No more speaking from you," Vincent said.

 _Damn you Vincent._ Arthur thought lowering his head.

They walked towards the lit up building and opened the door. The inside of the inn looked fine versus what was happening outside. There were a few people sitting at a table talking while an ursaring stood at the counter towards Arthur's left looking at them.

"Welcome. Are you here to buy a room or to drink yourself to sleep like them?" she said looking at the group of people at the table. Arthur looked at them more carefully and noticed that most of them were drunk and the others were are on their way.

"HEEY! Washch your moth woman," a granbull said loudly.

"Yeah yeah. Well. What'll be boys?" the ursasing asked again.

"Um. We'll be taking a room," Vincent said smiling at the ursaring.

"Okay. You can take that one over there," the woman gestured to an open door across from Arthur.

"Alright. How much will it be?" Vincent asked.

"Just take the room boys. Stay as long as you need…" the woman said sighing.

"I'll tell you what. If I get my paws on that fucking prince. I'll break each of his bones and bleed his body till he's beggin' for mercy," a persian said slamming his paw on the table. The others all grunted at his statement and took another sip of their beers.

Vincent looked at Arthur and back to the ursaring and said, "I see. Um. Thank you."

"Yeah…" the woman said looking down. Arthur followed Vincent to the open room doing his best to avoid looking at the drunk group.

Once they were inside the room Vincent closed the door and sighed. "Damn. This place is a ghost town," Vincent said taking off the bag around his waist and placing it next to one of the two beds. "Well. Get some sleep Arthur. You're going to need it."

"You still haven't answered my question Vincent?" Arthur said staring at the lucario intently.

Vincent looked at the ceiling and sighed. He walked over to the window and looked outside. "I can't answer everything Arthur. Some things I am bound to keep secret lest I threaten the future. You will know soon enough though. Just trust me," Vincent said getting into his bed. "Get some sleep for now."

Arthur was more than annoyed. Vincent was too mysterious. What did he mean by some things he is bound to keep secret? Would it really affect the future that much if he told Arthur a few things? Arthur wanted to persist as he was tired of no answers. But he also thought that the bed he was looking at looked real comfortable after sleeping on the outskirts of each town and village they passed. So he decided to push off his questions for another time and got in bed.

He closed his eyes and began to slowly slip away into sleep with the last image running through his mind being Ana. _I'll save you soon enough Ana. Wait for me until I get back._ Arthur thought drifting into sleep.

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 **Well there it is. Chapter 12. Yeah...**

 **Criticism and reviews are always appreciated.**

 _"Make the_ leap" - Nice Guy Wolf


	14. The One True King

**Wondered why I was acting weird last chapter in the author notes. That's because this is a double upload. Why you ask. Many reasons.**

 **This chapter and the last one were originally meant to be one chapter. But it came out too long and I was able to split them evenly to create two chapters.**

 **So now we have two chapters. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13:**

 **The One True King**

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"Welcome to King Aaron's castle kids," Myra said with a smile on her face.

Arthur looked at the broken castle around them on the back of Myra. Although light shined through. The broken building still looked almost like a castle from the inside. He saw the throne where King Aaron once sat. In front of the throne was a long rectangular stone table. It was cracked and covered in moss giving it that ancient feel.

"Dis is swooo cool!" Shyann said smiling.

Myra moved over to the table and slithered around it saying, "This is where the first Divine King and his knights sat planning and strategizing to fight their enemies. They were the bravest and strongest warriors in the land and always fought with pride."

Arthur looked at the table and thought about what it would be like to sit with the king and his knights. "I want to be a knight," Arthur said.

Myra giggled and stopped to turn around and look at Arthur. "Ah. But being a knight is the job of the children of nobles. You two are the children of a king and queen. You must be the ones to lead the knights. Without a leader. They wouldn't have been organized."

"But what if I don't want to be a king," Arthur said looking at the table.

"I wanna bwe queen!" Shyann said playfully hopping up and down on Myra's back.

Myra giggled again and said, "Now slow down little one. Being a queen has a lot of responsibility. A lot of people to watch over. A lot of meetings to attend. And eventually you'd need to provide an heir to the throne."

"Bwut how do I give air to da thwone?" Shyann asked looking puzzled.

Myra looked at the alolan vulpix and smiled. "You shouldn't worry about such things little one. Plus. Arthur here is the one bound for the throne since he's older. But don't worry. Being a princess is just as important," Myra said rubbing her head against Shyann's.

"Aah. Bwut I wanna bwe a queen," Shyann said giving a pouting face.

"Don't worry little one. Trust me when I say being a princess is awesome," Myra said nudging Shyann before looking at Arthur. "And you young prince. You'll grow up to be a great king. And you want to know a secret," Myra said moving her head close to Arthur. "Kings make the greatest knights."

"Really?!" Arthur said perking up.

"But of course. Ask your father. When he was in his prime. Woo. He was one of the best. Never lost a battle," Myra said moving around the table and down a corridor.

"What abwout mommy?" Shyann asked.

"Oh your mother. I stand corrected. She was the only one that could beat your father. She had a secret technique that he could never beat. Do you want to know what it was?" Myra asked.

"Yes!" Shyann said looking excited.

"Your mother's secret technique was her beauty and her love. Your father could never resist and he eventually fell for her. And that's how they had you two," Myra said looking outside while continuing to walk. Arthur looked where she was looking and saw the city. It was bustling with energy. People moving and talking. Laughs and giggles from both adults and kids could be heard everywhere.

"Did she use her beauty to hwave us?" Shyann asked.

Myra laughed and said, "That's a question for your mother and father. I'm sure they'd love to answer that one."

"Mrs. Myra. Where are we going?" Arthur asked seeing a set of stairs that led up.

"Even if the castle is old and a bit broken. There's this one spot at the top of these stairs that looks over the city. Fortunately it's perfectly stable. It's a wonderful view," Myra said wiggling up the stairs.

It was a few minutes before they reached the top. Myra moved over to a ledge and said, "What do you two think?"

Arthur looked over the edge and saw the city. The view was incredible from where they were. Arthur could see for miles and then some. He could see thousands of people walking down the streets and the hundreds of buildings that lied along them. "This is amazing!" Arthur said taking in the full pleasure of the view.

"This city is one of the many prides of our people. From this city we built a nation and expanded our reach far across the land. And now we live peacefully and happily. The land belongs to the people. But the kingdom. The kingdom belongs to the king. And one day you will be that king Arthur," Myra said looking at him.

"What abwout mwee?" Shyann said looking jealous.

Myra giggled and said, "Of course he'll need his sister at his side to help him. Managing a kingdom by himself would be too hard otherwise."

"Yaay!" Shyann said hopping up and down again.

Arthur looked at the city and smiled. _I'll be the best king ever._ he thought proudly.

 **O O O**

"Arthur…" a voice said loudly. Arthur opened his eyes and raised his head quickly. He looked around the room and as before saw no one. He shook his head.

"Not this again," Arthur thought. He saw that Vincent was still asleep and that the lights outside of their room had dimmed. That explained why Arthur was still tired.

"Come to us Arthur…" the voice said annoying Arthur.

He was getting ready to attempt sleeping through the voices until he noticed a glint coming from the window. He got up and walked towards the window slowly. He looked outside and saw a bright light coming from the entrance to the castle. "What…" Arthur said quietly.

"Come to us Arthur…" the voice said again. Though Arthur couldn't understand why. He knew that he had to go.

He grabbed Vincent's coat and wrapped it around his body. He walked towards the door and cracked it open slowly. He saw the people at the table all asleep. _Guess they finally drank themselves to sleep._ Arthur thought. He also noticed that the ursaring was sitting on a chair and sleeping on the counter. _Sleeping on the job are we._ Arthur thought smiling.

But what really grabbed his attention was that the lanterns were no longer glowing red. But instead blue. He looked at them curiously. _That's different._ he thought slowly walking out of the room and closing the door behind him. He made his way to the door quietly hoping not to wake anybody up. He pushed the front door open and walked outside.

"What the hell…" he said quietly as he saw the lanterns dangling from each house glowing blue. He also saw four guards in the middle of the street sleeping. He walked over to them carefully and poked one of them. The guard continued to sleep. Arthur kicked him and took a few steps back. Arthur at the same time didn't want the guard to wake up but wanted him to wake up. But the slumbering guard continued to lie there.

"Come to us Arthur…" the voice said again. Arthur slowly turned his head left and saw the castle with the bright light coming from the entrance. He took a deep breath and began to walk towards it.

Along the way he saw more guards and people sleeping. It was as if someone had put the whole city to sleep. And how all the lights glowed blue was beyond him. He hoped that whoever was speaking to him was going to give him answers about all of this.

He approached the castle and the light coming from within. As he got closer he saw six guards sleeping. He was still surprised that it was possible to put even them to sleep. He walked passed the guards and towards the entrance to the building. As he got closer to the light. He was finally able to see what was generating it. A small orb was floating in front of the castle motionless. He got closer and looked carefully at the orb. At its center was a small glowing blue light. He lifted a foreleg hesitantly towards the orb and placed a paw on it.

The world around Arthur twisted and changed making Arthur jump back from the orb. The darkness of the night shifted into bright rays of light of the day. The broken and old mossy building turned into a large and perfectly sculpted castle with banners hanging down from the sides. The buildings behind him shrank and the size of the city with it. He looked into the castle and saw a table full of people and at the head of it sitting on the throne was a bold looking flareon. "King Aaron Scourgebane…" Arthur said in disbelief.

"Handsome devil isn't he," a voice said behind him.

Arthur turned around and saw King Aaron looking at him. Arthur glanced between the flareon at the head of the table and the one looking at him. "Why am I seeing doubles?" Arthur asked confused.

The King Aaron looking at him said, "Ah don't worry kid. That one's only a memory. He can't even see or hear us. Do you think I look to bold there?"

"Um. What is this?" Arthur asked looking around at his surroundings.

"A lesson. Follow me kid," King Aaron said walking towards the castle.

Arthur followed behind him and asked, "How is this possible? This has to be dream. I must be sleeping still."

"It ain't no dream kid. So don't worry. You ain't crazy," King Aaron said stopping before the rectangular table where the knights sat talking. "For how this is possible. Well…. We've been waiting a long time for you Arthur. I'm glad you finally decided to leave that castle. Took too long. And I'm very impatient. I've got a lot of things to tell you. But not enough time."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked pondering at the idea of why King Aaron would be waiting for him.

"Well. I'll give it to you bluntly Arthur," King Aaron said turning towards Arthur. "You are a suicidal idiot. I mean really? You think throwing yourself at a titan without knowing how to control your Z-Power would help your kingdom? You're just giving him a snack you doofus. Jeez. But hey. Who am I to talk. I was just like you when I was your age. Naive and bold. Sometimes to bold. Being bold is not always a good thing. Sometimes you gotta know your place. Did you know I was a farmer? Probably not. They only talk about the slaying Scourge bit right? Well that's alright. We'll focus on that. Thing is Arthur. I never thought I was going to become a king. I never believed that I was worthy of such a title. And to be honest. I was afraid of the Scourge. Even when I knew how to control my Z-Power I was afraid. But what I didn't do was walk into death. So I'm going to make this clear Arthur. You have two choices here. Walk away from this battle and go back to your kingdom to lead the ones that are still alive. Or you tell yourself that you will not die to a titan. That you will kill it and save your people. That you will no matter how painful or how hard it will hit you. Get back up and kill it."

Arthur stared at King Aaron blankly. "Um," he said trying to process everything the flareon just said.

King Aaron looked at Arthur worried and said, "Too much too fast?"

"A little," Arthur said back.

"Ah. I see. Well. Ahem…. Make your choice Arthur. Either walk back to the capital with your head held high and no shame in walking away from a fight with a titan. Or you fight it with all you got until it is the first one to fall," King Aaron said.

"But what if I do die. What if I'm not- wait. You said Z-Power. What do you mean about controlling Z-Power? Isn't it just a myth?" Arthur asked.

"Ha. You really think what you did to that Scourge back at the capital is a myth? You have a lot to learn Arthur," King Aaron said smiling at him. The flareon looked down a corridor to his right and said, "Well. I think that's enough talking. It's time for you to see why you were called here."

The flareon faded away out of Arthur's sight along with the memory of the castle. The world returned back to normal leaving Arthur back in the broken castle. He turned around quickly and to his relief the guards were still asleep.

Arthur heard a buzzing coming from down the same corridor King Aaron was just looking down. He stared at it feeling a bit apprehensive. But he knew that if Z-Power was real and that King Aaron had and knew how to control it. Then he had to follow what the ancient king wanted him to follow.

He began to make his way down the corridor slowly. The buzzing got louder with each step he took. He walked down the corridors of the castle making multiple turns until he arrived in a room where a stone coffin lied in the center and around the coffin was four other coffins. He quickly realized that he was in the burial room of King Aaron and his Scourge Slayer knights. He got closer to the stone coffin taking each step carefully as the buzzing got louder and louder until it stopped as he stood in front of the coffin. "Damn it. Why'd it have to be the coffin of all things?" Arthur asked annoyed.

The large stone box had words and images engraved of King Aaron and the Scourge Slayer knights engraved all over it. He saw many battles between the kingdom and the Scourge. He also noticed a picture where King Aaron was roaring with one paw on a body. It was quite remarkable how well the pictures were made.

He raised his paw and placed it on the side of the stone lid that covered the coffin. "Ok. Deep breaths Arthur. It's just a dead body. You'll be alright…. Okay. One. Two. Three!" Arthur said shoving the lid of the coffin off. Although he thought he was going to see the ancient king's dead body. Instead he saw a staircase going down into under the castle. "Alright. This is officially worse," Arthur said climbing over the side of the coffin and onto the stairs.

As Arthur made his way down the stairs he noticed that the walls were layered with unown. He tried to make out what they said. But he couldn't understand due to the way they were organized. The living letters gazed at him as he continued to walk down the stairs. He did his best to avoid their gaze.

As he got closer to the end of the stairs. He could see a faint blue glow. He took a deep breath and walked down the final steps into a large circular shaped room where five coffins were aligned along the walls. The coffins were covered by unown and at the top of each coffin was a symbol that Arthur could identify. But the way they were formatted confused him. He saw the symbol of fire, dark, grass, psychic, and rock each in a diamond shaped box. And in front of each coffin was a floating blue orb.

"Took you long enough prince," King Aaron said. The blue orb in the middle of the five morphed into a blue, transparent King Aaron. Arthur noticed that the king looked a lot older than the last time he saw him. "You probably already know who I am. But I'll introduce myself anyways for all this to make sense. I am King Aaron Drachen Scourgebane. And these are my knights. Scourge Slayer Edrick Twilight, Scourge Slayer Skylar Nightfall, Scourge Slayer Lily Magier, and Scourge Slayer Elinda Diablo. Each of us on our own control Z-Power respectively. It was the reason we won the war. After that. We all lived out the rest of our lives and gave birth to our descendants. We have watched the nation we created grow into something incredible. But in the time that the nation grew. Not once did any of the Divine Kings have Z-Power. Not until you. We have waited for the one true king to appear. And now he has. We have waited for this moment. We knew the Scourge would come again. We knew the war would come again. And now that it's here. You must reunite the Scourge Slayers under you Arthur. Bring together your nation and its army. And purge the Scourge once and for all," King Aaron said smiling at Arthur.

"What?! This all sounds crazy. I don't even know how to use Z-Power. And I'm not worthy to be king. I don't even know where to find the Scourge Sla-" Arthur stopped remembering Vincent's last name being Magier. "Vincent has Z-Power?"

"I hope he has not been to secretive to you," a woman said whom Arthur guessed was Lily.

"But why hasn't he told me that he's a Scourge Slayer?" Arthur asked angrily.

"After the war ended. The lineage of Scourge Slayers separated from the royal family. He doesn't know that he is one nor do the others. They may not even know that they have such power," a male said.

"Well. Then what about the people. I'm wanted for the false murder of millions. They think I'm with the Scourge. I could never get their trust back," Arthur said feeling doubtful.

"That is your own doing Arthur. You have to regain their trust back yourself," another woman said.

"But how? What can I do that'll..." Arthur trailed off remembering the real reason he left the capital. "Zulev."

"Show the people that you can be trusted. Show them that you are their king. Show them that even in the darkest times. Even in our worst moments. That you will stand tall. And that you will not let the crime done to the kingdom and its people go unpunished. Make the Scourge understand that you stand between them and your people. Show them that even their gods can fall," another male said.

"But what if I can't kill Zulev? I don't even know how to control Z-Power," Arthur said worriedly.

"We cannot tell you how to control Z-Power Arthur. We can only tell you that it will come to you. Even if Zulev is strong. Even if he is a titan. There will always be a light in the darkness," King Aaron said morphing back into a blue orb. "But what we can do is give you our blessing. We deem you worthy of the throne King Arthur. And we wish you the best of luck."

"Wait! I still have questions!" Arthur tried. But the blue orbs glowed brightly bursting into blue dust. The dust flew to Arthur and covered his body sending a feeling through him that he had never felt before. "What... is... this..." Arthur said before collapsing. His vision blurred as his eyes shut sending him into a deep slumber.

* * *

 **When you write stuff like this long enough. You'll eventually find yourself in this state where nothing else around you matters and the words you write turn into images you can see and hear. It's an amazing feeling both emotionally and mentally. You see this world you created form into reality and the characters you made come to life and you make your readers believe that this world exists. You make them see that it exists. That is the peak of imagination. When you are able to bring something to life from nothing. That is what drives artists. Imagination. And anyone can do it. Just pick up a brush or a pencil and begin. And maybe you'll find yourself somewhere you never thought you would be.**

 **Well. I'm done ranting for now. Let's try this one more time, shall we?**

 **As always. Criticism and reviews are appreciated. I'll see you guys next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	15. The Ancient One

**Sorry that this chapter is a little bit late. Had some things to do that took up time. Luckily. I had today off. So I got to write this chapter. Yay.**

 **Well. I honestly have nothing to say here. So I'll just say enjoy chapter 14.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14:**

 **The Ancient One**

* * *

A day had passed and Cooper along with Ethan, Mary, Maron, and Morton had only gotten passed a couple of mountains. At the pace they were going. They wouldn't reach the Unseen Forest for another five weeks. And Cooper didn't have that time.

He thought about maybe running the rest of the way. He knew he was fast. Probably fast enough to reach the forest in a couple of days. But Sleepy said that he would be leaving the group behind which Cooper thought wasn't that bad because it would only take a couple of days to go to Fenna and then back. But Sleepy also brought up the point about how he would have to run without break to reach Fenna within those couple of days and that his body would collapse within only a few hours due to his injuries. So they were forced to speed walk towards the Unseen Forest instead. And so far they hadn't made much ground.

Cooper looked over at Ethan who was clearly annoyed by something. Most likely due to the fact that they were heading to the Unseen Forest. Ethan looked over and caught Cooper looking at him. "What?" Ethan said staring back at Cooper looking almost angry.

"You need to relax. We'll see the villagers again. We just have to reach the forest and then we'll travel to them," Cooper said trying to calm the krookodile as best he could.

"Yeah. Just reach the forest, he says. Relax, he says. It's going to take us weeks to reach that bloody forest. And then we have to search for this 'Fenna' within the forest where nobody comes out alive or sane. Please explain to me how to relax at a time like this," Ethan retaliated aggressively.

"I know it sounds crazy Eth-"

"It is crazy," Ethan interrupted looking away.

"Okay. I 'know' it's crazy, Ethan. But we have no choice," Cooper said getting annoyed as well.

"And that's where you're wrong. 'You' have no choice Cooper. The rest of us don't need some weird magician living in a madman's forest. You need this Fenna person. Not us. Why should we risk our lives to help just one person? So many people died in the village. What difference does one per-"

"That's enough!" Morton said slamming one of his concrete pillars hard on the ground. All eyes were quickly on him. "You need to be careful with what you say Ethan. You think our lives are greater than his? We are all equals. Some may be stronger. Some may be faster. And some may be kings. But we were all born the same way. If you think you have the right to decide if someone lives or dies. Then you are clearly very stupid," Morton said making Ethan wince at the strong words directed towards him. Morton turn towards Cooper and said, "And you. I don't want you to tell me another goddamn lie. I don't know what you two were to each other in your village. I could hardly care. But I won't tolerate either of you jeopardizing our mission to reach the forest because you can't get along. Keep your distance from each other if necessary. But I don't want to here either of you saying anything to each other unless it's something nice. Understood?"

Cooper quickly glanced at Ethan and then back to Morton and said, "Yeah."

Morton looked at Ethan who said, "But-"

"Hey! Understood?" Morton asked again looking at Ethan more intently.

The large krookodile looked enraged. "Fine," Ethan said looking away still angry.

"Good. Now that that's settled. Let's continue before the it gets too dark," Morton said walking again. Cooper followed from the right of the conkeldurr while Ethan stuck to the left.

 _Cooper. Try not to fight with Ethan anymore. And if possible. Try to keep him calm._ Sleepy said.

 _I get the fighting part. But how am I supposed to keep him calm?_ Cooper asked thinking of how it was possible to calm a bully like Ethan.

 _Just try your best. He mustn't get too angry._ Sleepy cautioned.

 _Why shouldn't he get angry? Because he'll throw a fit if he does?_ Cooper said smiling.

 _More than a fit. How do you think he survived four weeks under a heap of rubble without food or water?_ Sleepy said.

Cooper thought about it for a second. He became confused quickly and said. _I don't know._

 _The Scourge are very merciless people Cooper. They'll kill anyone and everyone who stands in their way. But now ask yourself this. What if I were to tell you that the Scourge are incapable of reproduction. And if they are incapable of reproduction. Then how would they exist? Couldn't we just wipe them out?_ Sleepy said.

Cooper thought about what Sleepy had just said. He thought about how the Scourge could and why they would invade if they couldn't reproduce. They wouldn't have a big enough army. Nor would they stand a chance. _But then. Why don't we wipe them out?_ Cooper asked confused.

 _Ruan. That's why. I have not told you enough about the enemy Cooper. And there is a reason for that. But what I will tell you is that Ruan has a very unique ability. This ability is called Impressment. He uses this ability to take his enemies by force and converge them into allies. The ability has a different effect on everybody. And unfortunately Ruan can give this ability down to other Scourge. It's not as effective and takes longer. But it still has the same outcome. Now I'll ask you again. How did Ethan survive four weeks under that heap of rubble without food or water?_ Sleepy said.

Cooper felt fear run through his body. He barely looked at Ethan as to not catch the krookodile's attention. _It can't be true._ Cooper said wondering what Ethan might look like as a Scourge.

 _Don't worry yourself Cooper. As I said before. Ruan can give this ability down to other Scourge. It's less effective then. Luckily. It wasn't Ruan who used Impressment. He wouldn't show up himself. So another Scourge used Impressment on Ethan which means we have time._ Sleepy said.

 _But he's still going to become Scourge anyways. He can't go back to the villagers. We can't afford to risk him coming with us either._ Cooper said quickly. Cooper looked at Ethan again and felt sorry for the krookodile. Ethan didn't realize what happened to him. And he wouldn't realize that he was changing into a Scourge.

 _No. Bring him with you. As I said. Impressment was used by a lesser Scourge. Unlike Ruans. It can be stopped._ Sleepy said.

 _What? How? I thought you said that both Ruan and a lesser Scourge's Impressment have the same outcome._ Cooper asked getting confused again.

 _I said they both have the same outcome. I never said it can't be stopped. Luckily. You're on your way to the person who can stop the transformation._ Sleepy said.

 _Fenna? She can stop a person from turning? How?_ Cooper asked wondering how many other things Fenna could do.

 _It's complicated Cooper. Very complicated. It's also a very long story to tell. And I'm not the one to tell it. For now continue to make your way to the Unseen Forest. Fenna will explain when you get there._ Sleepy said.

 _I think I at least deserve to know how it's possible to stop the transformation._ Cooper said.

 _Where there is darkness. There must be light._ Sleepy said prophetically.

 _What the hell is that supposed to mean._ Cooper asked confused.

 _Think about it Cooper. You'll figure out the answer eventually._ Sleepy said.

Cooper sighed. _At least tell me how in the world we're going to make it to Fenna if we still have a couple of weeks left._ Cooper asked feeling worried.

 _Don't worry about reaching Fenna in time Cooper. You'll make it in time. Both you and Ethan will._ Sleepy said.

 _You're always speaking in riddles. How is it so hard to tell me what you have planned?_ Cooper asked.

 _What I know if I were to tell you would directly affect the future in ways that you wouldn't believe possible._ Sleepy said.

 _Well that's just great. You know you remind me of someone I met along time ago. Can't remember who they were or what they said. I just know that they spoke in riddles as well._ Cooper said trying to remember the name of that person.

 _I see. How unfortunate for you._ Sleepy said mockingly.

 _Are you making fun of me? Are you even capable of that?_ Cooper asked shocked.

"Alright!" Morton said out loud. "Seeing as how it's getting too dark. I think we should set up camp here for the night."

"Really? But what about Cooper. Shouldn't we keep walking," Mary asked looking at Cooper with a worried face.

"He'll be fine Mary. Trust me. I have a plan," Morton said smiling.

"Better be a good one. We've barely covered any ground," Ethan said sitting down still annoyed.

"It very much is. But I think right now everyone is a bit tired, yes?" Morton asked looking around.

"Mind telling us what this plan is Morton?" Maron asked taking off his bag.

"I would. But I could use a nap. Maybe tomorrow. Maron. Take the first watch. Three hours after midnight. Wake me up and I'll take the next watch. We leave at eight," Morton said.

"Are you kidding? You don't plan to watch that long do you?" Maron asked.

"And what if I do? I don't need much sleep anyway. From where I come from. We only slept about a couple of hours and that was that. So yes. I do plan on keeping watch until morning," Morton said sitting against a tree.

"I see. Well. Yeah. I guess everyone get some sleep then," Maron said leaning against a tree and looking outwards.

Cooper walked over to a tree and curled up next to it. He looked up to one of the large mountains looming over him. He stared at it in wonder. He was always curious about how the mountains came to be. They must've been growing for millions and millions of years. He was also curious about how the mountains got their name. Nobody knew the answer as to why the mountains were called the Conter Mountains. But just the fact that they had been called that ever since the first Divine King's rule. _Hey Sleepy. Where does the name Conter come from?_ Cooper asked the know-it-all voice in his head.

 _Why do you think I know?_ Sleepy asked.

 _Don't you? You know a lot of things. Most you won't tell me. But do you at least know where the name comes from?_ Cooper asked.

 _Hmm. I do. Well. Wouldn't hurt telling you this then. It is a very ancient name dating back ages before the first Divine King. It belonged to the person who was the first to discover the mountains. Of course the Conter Mountains then weren't as big as the ones now. In fact. The mountains were more like hills. They were originally called the Conter Hills and, believe it or not, weren't expected to grow anymore._ Sleepy said.

Cooper quickly became interested in Sleepy's story. _Then how'd they became the massive beast today?_ Cooper asked curiously imagining what Conter Village would look like surrounded by hills. The sun would be out a lot more and it would probably be a lot brighter.

 _That's debated. Way back before the first Divine King when there were books about the mountains and when scholars had brains. There were a couple of theories. Many assumed that the mountains were just growing slowly. And that no one would even be able to notice a growth in the mountains within their lifetime. Some assumed that a legendary had played a part in the growth of the mountains. Another theory that had been passed around but one that scholars disregarded as absurd was that Conter was a very antisocial person and wanted to live in the mountains alone. They say that Conter found the center of the hills and placed a very powerful curse on them. The mountains began to rise from this curse and hid the home of Conter himself._ Sleepy said.

 _Like the center of the mountains?_ Cooper asked remembering how nobody had been able to get to the center.

 _Yes. Like the center of the mountains._ Sleepy said

Cooper thought about the idea of Conter living inside the misty center of the mountains. It amazed him that even the idea of Conter putting a powerful curse on the mountains was thought about. Another thought quickly came to Cooper's mind as he remembered what Sleepy had just said. _Wait. You said that these theories existed before the first Divine King when there was books about it. But how do you know that there were books? Or about the theories that were debated before the first Divine King? If you know. Then why doesn't anybody else know?_ Cooper asked. He felt Sleepy shift in his mind. _How do you know Sleepy?_ Cooper asked again. Then at that same moment another thing Sleepy had said came to his mind. Sleepy had told Cooper before he talked to Elise that he wouldn't be able to communicate with him once he got far enough away from the mountains. He also remembered how Sleepy had told him that he would go to Fenna and then return to the mountains where he would finish his training with Sleepy. All of a sudden the pieces started to come together.

 _STOP!_ Sleepy roared in Cooper's mind making the jolteon wince.

 _You're him aren't you? The reason you know so much about the mountains and about Gigavolt Havoc is because you've been here all this time. That's how you know so much. You've had all this time. You're Conter._ Cooper said back.

 _DO NOT CALL ME THAT!_ Sleepy roared again.

 _But it's true isn't it?_ Cooper asked.

Cooper heard a deep growl in his mind. _Do you think you are clever for figuring out who I am Verlidian? Do you think it will change anything if you know who I am? I bore that name a long time ago. But no longer. You will continue to call me Sleepy for as long as you live. Do you understand?_ Conter said in a deep tone.

 _I understand. I just want to know why you resent your name so much._ Cooper said.

 _That is of no concern to you Cooper._ Conter said.

Cooper wondered why Conter hated his name. He was famous! The biggest mountains in the world were named after him. How could he hate that. Cooper thought of another question that entered his mind quickly and he just had to ask. _How old are you Con- I meeeean Sleepy?_ Cooper asked correcting himself as to not anger the ancient being.

 _Does it matter._ Conter said.

 _Please? I'm just curious about how old you are since the mountains were hills when you discovered them. They were hills, right?_ Cooper asked.

 _Yes. They were hills._ Conter sighed. _Three million years._

"Three million!" Cooper said out loud without realizing it.

"Hey! Could you keep it down and keep your dreams to yourself?" Ethan said looking at Cooper intently.

"Oh. Sorry. Um. A bit of a wild dream you know," Cooper said putting on a fake smile.

Ethan eyed Cooper suspiciously before saying, "Whatever," and laying his head back down.

"Get some sleep Cooper. We got a long day tomorrow," Morton said with his eyes closed.

"Y-yeah. I'll try," Cooper said laying his head back down.

 _Keep your thoughts to yourself Cooper! Be glad you didn't say anything else._ Conter said sounding annoyed.

 _Sorry. But three million years?! How is it possible for someone to even live that long besides the legendaries?_ Cooper asked.

 _Another question for another day. Enough talk for now. Sleep Cooper. When morning comes. I'm going to teach you the basics of your ability._ Conter said.

 _Wait. How are you going to teach me in the morning? Morton will be keeping watch._ Cooper asked worriedly.

 _How do you think those three found you Cooper? Anybody else would have looked at you and considered you dead. And yet Morton and Maron pulled you out from under your own house. I wonder why._ Conter said.

Cooper's eyes widened. He looked over at Morton who winked back at him with a smile on his face. He looked at Maron who was looking out towards the mountains.

 _The rhydon and the wigglytuff don't know about me. Just Morton._ Conter said.

 _But he acts as if-_

 _As if I wasn't actually there. You shouldn't expect someone to give away the fact that there is a three million year old person speaking in his head._ Conter said before Cooper could finish.

 _But couldn't he have told me? Couldn't you have told me?_ Cooper asked.

 _Yes. We could've. But he asked that I wouldn't tell you just yet._ Conter said.

 _Why?_ Cooper asked.

 _Mainly so that you wouldn't say anything out loud like you did a few minutes ago. And… partially because he wanted to have the glory of seeing the look on your face when you found out._ Conter said chuckling.

 _You can laugh too?_ Cooper countered.

Cooper heard silence in his head for a few minutes before Conter said. _Go to sleep Cooper. You have a long day tomorrow._

Cooper closed his eyes smiling. He relaxed his body feeling that slight bit of pain in his right foreleg reminding him of his time limit. He felt fear and sorrow fill his body. He really was going to die if he didn't make it to Fenna in time. He would die from injuries he couldn't feel. All of a sudden he saw Elise in his mind and latched onto the image of her. He felt the fear and sorrow fade away as he saw the golden flareon sitting in the Golden Fields with the sun shining off of her. He smiled and slowly fell asleep with the image of Elise being the last thing in his mind.

* * *

 **There was a lot of 'thoughtful' conversations in that chapter... No? Just me. Alright...**

 **Really was a lot of conversations in Cooper's head though. Surprised me how much of it there was. But I guess it was needed.**

 **Anyways. Have nothing else to say here either.**

 **Criticism and reviews are appreciated as always. See you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	16. Legacy

**This is another long chapter. A really long chapter. But a good one in my opinion. I enjoyed writing it. Certainly didn't enjoy the time it took to write it though.**

 **Anyways. It took seven to eight hours to write this one. Pretty fun if you ask me (Not really).**

 **Enough of that. Enjoy chapter 15!**

* * *

 **Chapter 15:**

 **Legacy**

* * *

 _Wake up Verlidian._ Conter's voice echoed in Cooper's head.

 _Just a little longer grandpa…_ Cooper said.

 _Wake up!_ Conter shouted making Cooper flinch as his eyes shot open.

He looked around and saw that it was still dark. He saw Maron and Mary sleeping peacefully. But when he looked at Ethan. He saw the krookodile shaking and twitching. His expression made Cooper believe he was in pain.

 _He will be fine._ Conter said.

 _He doesn't look fine._ Cooper said feeling pity for Ethan. Even after their long history with each other. Cooper felt sad for what happened to Ethan. To be forced into becoming a Scourge and waiting four weeks under a building surrounded by death. And he didn't even realize what was happening to him.

 _He is not lost yet Cooper. There is still time. For now I must teach you the basics of your ability._ Conter said.

Cooper got up slowly and stretched his body carefully making sure not to cause anymore damage to it. _But wouldn't it be risky trying to use my ability in a state like this?_ Cooper asked worriedly.

 _Yes. It would. And that's why I will not be teaching you it's physical capabilities until you reach me here in the mountains._ Conter said.

 _Oh... But don't I need to know how to use it to fight the Scourge?_ Cooper asked confused.

 _Do you really think that having power is all an ability like yours grants? Do you really think it's just a weapon?_ Conter asked.

 _Um. Maybe?_ Cooper responded.

Conter sighed and said. _You have a lot to learn about this ability Cooper. Walk to your left. There is a spacious area where you can meditate peacefully._

 _Meditate?_ Cooper asked.

 _Yes. Meditation. Problem?_ Conter asked.

 _Well. No. It's just… boring._ Cooper said remembering how his grandfather used to do it all the time.

 _Get used to it. You will be doing it a lot._ Conter said.

Cooper groaned and began walking to the area that Conter described until Morton said, "Hey kid." Cooper turned around and saw the big conkeldurr staring at him. "Don't go too far. Even if that old man tells you to. Can't afford a surprise attack."

"I'm not. Only to a small opening somewhere over here," Cooper gestured in the direction Conter had told him to go. Morton nodded.

Cooper began to walk again to the opening where the grass reached up to his knees. _So what are you going to teach me about Gigavolt Havoc?_ Cooper asked.

 _First. You will refer to this ability not as Gigavolt Havoc. But as Z-Power instead for that is it's true name. Second. I will be teaching you the history of Z-Power and where it comes from._ Conter said.

 _History?_ Cooper asked. _But why would the history be important?_

 _Do you assume that nothing is important about your ability besides power? The history of Z-Power is something that every pokemon born with it learned first. But now the idea of such a thing is considered crazy. All because its history was not preserved._ Conter said.

 _Oh._ Cooper said feeling stupid.

 _And this is exactly why I will teach you the history of Z-Power. Because you are already clueless enough._ Conter said harshly. _Now sit down and begin your meditation._

 _It's not my fault. Blame the historians._ Cooper retaliated as he sat and closed his eyes.

 _I blame a lot of people Cooper. Specifically those that have the ability and know of its presence. Now listen._ Conter said. Cooper got quiet and waited patiently for Conter to speak. _I want you to realize that the history of Z-Power is a long, dark, and painful one. What I am about to tell you will reveal the truth of our blessing. While I speak. I want you to remain quiet and to pay attention. No interruptions. Understood?_

 _Yup._ Cooper replied back.

 _There is no yup or yes or yeah now. From here on out until you have mastered Z-Power. You will recognize me as your teacher and elder. And you will learn to respect me as so. Understood?_ Conter said firmly.

 _Really? But wh-_

 _Understood?_ Conter interrupted loudly.

Cooper sighed before saying. _I understand._

 _I understand, master._ Conter said.

 _I understand master._ Cooper said clearly annoyed.

 _Good. Then listen close._ Conter said. _The history of Z-Power dates back all the way to the time when Arceus formed the world. While he gave life to existence. He realized that he would not be able to handle it all on his own. And thus other legendary pokemon were given life. Pokemon of time, space, death, order, life, and many more to keep the balance. After Arceus created his legendaries. He then created the first life. The first breed of pokemon._

 _Eight of each type known today were given life and separated into different regions of the world. Each of these groups lived and reproduced in each of their own regions respectively not knowing that more existed. Time went on and the eighteen groups of eight had grown into the thousands. And eventually, with each group realizing that they needed more land to live on, ventured out into the wilds. This led to the discovery of different types. The realization that they were not alone in the world. With each group wanting more land for themselves. A conflict took place._

 _The eighteen groups clashed and killed each other for possession of the world. This led to the near extinction of the pokemon race until the legendary of order, Zygarde, separated the eighteen types and caged them within their own regions. Arceus already knew that the pokemon he had created were imperfect beings. But he did not know that they would hate and kill each other. He realized that he needed to join these eighteen types together._

 _His first solution was to create mixed types. He created pokemon that were two types in hopes that the groups of pokemon would join together. But instead of joining together. The group's cast out these mixed types and considered them bastards of the highest degree. To be killed on sight if ever seen._

 _After his first failure. Arceus took a long time to solve the problem to his issue until he came back to the mixed types solution. But instead of mixing the types together. He created hundreds of smaller normal types and scattered them throughout the groups. These normal types were eevees. The only pokemon that could take eight other forms with different types. Though he thought like the first time that this would join the groups together. It instead created chaos amongst them. The eevees were forced to turn into the types of the group they belonged to or they would be executed. And that would lead to other groups getting mad._

 _Arceus became enraged with the types and his world and decided that he was going to wipe out the entire planet with a series of disaster that would kill all life. Although the legendaries were against his decision majorly. They could not say anything against the empowered god who enacted his wrath upon the world._

 _But as he did. Something incredible happened. As he ravaged and destroyed the world. He also watched the eighteen types come together. He watched them work with each other to protect their young. He watched them fight against the storms. Against the world cracking and breaking beneath them. He watched them become one. Arceus saw the final solution to his problem. He realized what he had to._

 _Arceus ended the chaos and sent out his legendaries to reform the broken world. And while his legendaries worked on restoring the world. Arceus was creating something powerful and terrible. Something he believed would ensure the eighteen groups would stay together. He created the first Ruan. The first Scourge._

 _Wait. The first Ruan?_ Cooper asked confused.

 _Ruan is not a name, Cooper. It is a pokemon. An evolution. Let me continue. And you will understand._ Conter said.

 _Oh. Sorry._ Cooper said getting quiet again.

 _The first Ruan was a powerful and terrible being created from despair and darkness and he attacked the eighteen types who had joined together. Although it was Ruan against the pokemon by himself. He was unstoppable. He killed and killed and killed being as merciless as possible and discriminating against no one. The pokemon fled as their allies turned against them. As their family and friends turned and twisted into horrible creatures. With the Scourge continuing their attack on the pokemon. Arceus finally set the next piece into action._

 _He created a being of hope and light to rival Ruan. Angel Nightfall. The first pokemon to hold and control Z-Power. She along with a group of others known as the Order of Nightfall, retaliated against Ruan. A long and terrible war was fought until Angel made the final blow upon Ruan killing the king of chaos and dispersing the Scourge. The historians marked this as the Scourge War thinking it would never happen again._

 _After the long war. The people followed Nightfall as their leader and rebuilt the world. From the hate between the eighteen types. Came a new bond. They were finally one._

 _Arceus finally watched the life he created become what he wanted to be. What he had envisioned. But. What he had not taken into account was the cost._

 _Although Ruan had died. The darkness from which he was born from had not. It crawled it's way through the world unnoticed by Arceus and seeped it's way into the heart of an innocent pokemon. And it waited and waited until that pokemon had given life to his own children who were born with this same darkness. And thus began the lineage of Nightfall and Ruan._

 _Time passed as the world remained in constant peace. As more and more pokemon began to contain Z-Power. As the people went from thousands to millions and millions. But as the light prospered. The darkness that had hidden itself from the world was creating an abomination. A fiend so powerful it had never been killed before. A Titan. And when it was ready. The darkness released it upon the land._

 _The Titan devoured and slaughtered thousands on its own leaving nothing but destruction and death in its wake. And as it killed. The darkness that lived in the descendant of the pokemon the darkness had hidden in burst free and created a new Ruan from that pokemon's soul. The king of chaos returned. And with him the wrath of the Scourge. While his Titan and the Scourge clashed against the people. He hunted down anybody who held Z-Power and used Impressment on them. His army grew in power and he became a tyrant so powerful and crazy. The Order of Nightfall and the descendant of Angel Nightfall knew they were outmatched. And in their attempt to conserve the people who held Z-Power. They ran and hid within the only place Ruan would not enter. The Unseen Forest. And with their disappearance. The Age of Death began._

 _Ruan ruled for ages in a world full of darkness and pain. The people who hadn't been turned were enslaved in the grasp of Ruan. And anyone who retaliated was tortured and killed in the most terrible ways. Eventually the next Ruan to emerge had Z-Power. The darkness finally had all the power in the world. He was unstoppable. The people prayed and begged for Arceus's help. But the god that had created the terrible curse on the world never did anything. And eventually. The people lost hope. Until one flareon arose and challenged the darkness._

 _Aaron Drachen. He pulled together the people and called upon the light for its help. He along with four others challenged Ruan and his army in a long and bloody war. The war lasted years and years until Aaron landed the final blow upon the darkness finally ending the Age of Death and marking the second Scourge War._

 _But the one thing the historians forgot. The one thing they do not know. Is how. They believe the existence of Z-Power is but a myth. A legend. They believe that the Scourge were defeated by shear numbers and strength. But all of this is not true. Without Z-Power. Aaron and his army would've been eradicated. They would never have stood a chance._

 _This is why I must tell you the history of our power Cooper. I tried my best to summarize it for it is more complicated than that. But now you understand our history. How and why we exist._ Conter finished.

Cooper attempted to remember everything Sleepy had just said to him. It was so much information at once. _That's… a lot to remember._ Cooper said.

 _I know. But it would do you well to remember as much of it as possible. Hopefully all of it._ Conter said.

 _Wait. There's one thing I don't get. The stories said that a Titan had never been killed before. So why didn't the part where King Aaron fought the Scourge have a Titan involved?_ Cooper asked confused. _And another thing. If we remain with the idea that a Titan is unkillable. Then why haven't the Scourge made more to kill us?_

 _It is true. A Titan was not involved in the battle between the old king and Ruan. And there is reason for that. But first. I will explain why the Scourge haven't made more. The darkness lying within the current Ruan is strong. But Titans are massive, powerful beings. It takes a lot of power to create one. But more importantly. The Scourge are restricted to two Titans. There is a reason for this also._

 _When Arceus first interfered with the pokemon world. He did it out of anger. He violated his own laws stating that no higher being will interfere with the pokemon world unless absolutely necessary. When he created more pokemon to forge the groups together. He was not interfering. But when he himself chose to attack the people. That was the moment he crossed the lines. And after he created Ruan and Nightfall. He created two forces equal to each other. The darkness and the light. And thus a balance was formed in the world. A balance Arceus cannot interfere with unless one side becomes too powerful to the point of destruction for the other._

 _When the first Titan was created. The darkness gained a massive advantage over the light. So much to the point that the Scourge are restricted to two lest they break the balance. And even during the Age of Death. Because of the light's safety within the forest. The balance was not broken._

 _Now back to your first question. As I said. The Scourge are restricted to two Titans. During the war between Aaron and the Scourge. The Titan Zulev did not interfere because of a threat. Believe it or not. Zulev was not the first Titan. And that's why Zulev did not interfere. Because the first threatened him. The first Titan although turned into a Scourge, was an experiment and was not properly controlled by Ruan. And eventually. The first Titan disappeared. This is also why the Scourge are not as strong as they are supposed to be. They only have control over one of the two existing Titans. But now. After so long. The thought of another Titan existing was erased from the people's minds. And the threat of the first Titan no longer scares the Scourge. And so the third Scourge War is soon to come._ Conter said grimly.

 _So wait. What you're saying is that the first Titan is good? Maybe we can find it and have it cooperate with us to take down the Scourge._ Cooper suggested.

 _Maybe. Do not dwell on the idea of that right now Cooper. For now. It is time to be on your way._ Conter said.

 _Really? We've only been here for twenty min…_ Cooper trailed off as he opened his eyes. The sky was brightly lit up with the sun peaking over the massive mountains. _How?_

 _While you were meditating and I was speaking. What may seem like minutes. Turned into hours. It is a state of perfect balance. Something only a pokemon with Z-Power can achieve. It enhances your ability every time you do it. Now you know the history of our people and how to enhance your ability._ Conter said.

 _Wait. My grampa meditated all the time. Does that mean-_

 _No. Just because someone meditates does not mean that they have Z-Power._ Conter said debunking Cooper's theory.

"Hey kid," Morton said making Cooper turn around. "Time to go. Haven't woken the others up yet so that you can get back to camp without them suspecting anything. Come on."

"Right. Coming," Cooper said following Morton back to camp.

 _One more thing. You said that the light was born with Angel Nightfall and that the darkness was born with Ruan. You also said that Ruan is not a name. But you make it sound like it is when you say Nightfall and Ruan. Doesn't Ruan have a name and a last name?_ Cooper asked.

 _Yes. They do. The current Ruan's name is Jack. As for his last name. His last name is unknown even to me. So I refer to him as Ruan._ Conter said.

 _Well. What about the Ruan during the Age of Death? You said that Scourge can't reproduce. So how does Ruan have a lineage?_ Cooper asked.

 _As I said before. Ruan is an evolution. The pokemon born with the darkness in him starts out as a Mayhim. In this form. They look like any other pokemon and can easily mate with any pokemon depending on their egg group. This is where the lineage continues from. The first form is to ensure the cycle continues. The second form is called Havic. The first form is where the next pokemon containing the darkness comes from. But even in the second form. They can still mate. But the way they look changes. Instead of looking like a regular pokemon. Their color will change to a light brown and spikes will protrude from their spine and their legs. They will still have the body of the pokemon they were once before. As for Ruan. In this form. They look nothing like their original selves besides the shape of their body. The skin on their body will become obsidian and the spikes from Havic will become larger. Their eyes and markings on their bodies will glow a bright white. It is no longer a pokemon at this point. It is a monster. When a Havic has become a Ruan. Then they have ensured that the lineage from which the darkness descends continues._ Conter said.

 _Do you know who's the current Mayhim or Havic?_ Cooper asked.

 _I do not. Remember Cooper. The current Mayhim if there is one, would look like any other pokemon. I would not be able to tell._ Conter said.

"Alright everybody. Time to wake up. You've all had enough sleep," Morton said gently hitting the ground with his concrete pillars.

"Can you stop slamming the fucking ground?!" Ethan yelled looking at Morton angrily.

"Seems like someone woke up on the wrong side of the grass," Maron said giggling.

"How bout you shut your fucking mouth," Ethan said aggressively.

 _Intervene._ Conter said quickly.

"Hey. Leave him be Maron. We've lived in Conter Valley our whole lives. We're not used to going to sleep so late and waking up this early. It's different," Cooper said hoping to cool down Ethan. After all those years of hating Ethan. Now Cooper had to defend him.

"That is understandable. Forgive me for slamming the ground and forgive Maron's smart mouth," Morton said getting a hurt look from Maron. "Hopefully you can get some sleep soon. For where we're going. You might be able to." Ethan grunted taking a quick look at Cooper before getting up and stretching.

 _You must reach Fenna soon. Soon as in within less than a week. For both yours and his sake._ Conter said.

 _Are you kidding? The Unseen Forest is weeks away!_ Cooper said feeling dread come over him.

"Listen up! The Unseen Forest is weeks away from where we are now if we were to walk the whole way above ground. Fortunately. I know a shortcut," Morton said smiling.

"A shortcut? What shortcut?" Mary asked looking confused.

"A shortcut that'll get us there in three days," Morton said getting a shocked expression from everybody.

"Three days!" Cooper yelled. "What kind of shortcut is that?!"

"A shortcut forged by a friend of mine," Morton said beginning to walk northeast. Everyone grabbed their bags quickly and caught up to Morton.

"Is your friend some kind of magician? Because that's impossible," Ethan said.

"You could say that. He has something similar to what Cooper has," Morton said looking at Cooper.

"Oh. So he's a freak too. Great," Ethan said looking annoyed. Cooper felt anger rise through him. He wanted to react. But he knew that Conter would tell him not to. And that it would only make things worse. But it appeared that he wasn't the only one who was angry as Morton suddenly stopped.

"Listen Ethan. I don't know what you've been through or what you were taught," Morton said turning around to face Ethan. Cooper saw the look on Morton's face. He looked pissed. "But the one thing you will restrain yourself from doing is calling Cooper and my friend a 'freak'. If it wasn't for a 'freak', you'd still be under that rubble rotting. If it wasn't for a 'freak', we'd be spending weeks walking. So I'll make this clear. Say anything like that again. And I'll bury you in the ground and leave you for the Scourge. Understood?"

Cooper felt fear run through him as he looked at Ethan. But to his surprise, his bully looked scared almost. "Y-yeah. S-sorry," Ethan said looking down.

"Good. Let's make sure we don't have to go through this again," Morton said turning back around. "Alright. Let's continue. As I said. We'll be taking a shortcut to the Unseen Forest. So we're going to try and reach this shortcut before nightfall. Come," Morton said walking again with everyone following behind closely.

 _Hey Sleepy. He isn't serious is he?_ Cooper asked.

 _He is more than serios Cooper. There's a reason Morton does not talk about his past. It would be best not to question it for now._ Conter warned.

 _Right._ Cooper said.

 _Well. If it makes you feel better. A certain someone wishes to speak with you._ Conter said.

Cooper quickly perked up and asked. _Elise?!_

 _She and the villagers are about to leave my minds reach. I will no longer be able to communicate with her soon. She requested to speak with you before I lose connection to her mind._ Conter said.

 _Right now?_ Cooper asked quickly.

 _Yes. Right now._ Conter responded.

 _Crap. Um. What do I say Conter? Wait. Does she even know that you're Conter or any of the stuff that you told me?_ Cooper asked.

 _Stop. First. Do not call me Conter. Second. She doesn't know who I am or about the stuff we talked about. That information is between us._ Conter said. _Now relax. I am connecting you with her mind now._

Cooper quickly thought about all the things he was going to say. In fact. He couldn't actually think of anything to say. He felt her conscience enter his mind and he fell quiet.

 _Cooper?_ Elise asked. Cooper felt joy hearing her voice. He wanted to say something. But he didn't know what to say. _Hello? Are you there Cooper?_ Elise asked again.

 _Speak Verlidian!_ Conter said loudly making Cooper wince and snapping him back to reality.

 _Um. Yeah. Hey Elise. How are you?_ Cooper asked awkwardly. He dipped his head low feeling stupid.

 _I'm… fine. How are you doing?_ Elise asked quietly.

 _Uh. Well. You know. Sleep is a little weird. Had to go sleep real late last night and then wake up-_

 _Cooper. How are you?_ Elise asked again louder this time making Cooper realize what she was asking.

 _O-oh. I'm… alright. I mean. I'm not dead yet -I mean! Wait t-that's not what I meant to say! Um._ Cooper stopped feeling even more like an idiot.

 _It's okay…._ Elise said quietly. Cooper waited impatiently hoping to hear her speak again. But she had gone quiet.

 _Elise? You still there?_ Cooper asked worried.

 _Cooper. I understand if you need to go to the forest to heal. Sleepy explained that it's the only way. But he also told me that after you reach the forest. You plan on going somewhere else for some reason he won't reveal that will take a lot longer than just reaching the forest. Tell me he's lying Cooper._ Elise asked. Cooper heard her begin to cry again.

 _I'm sorry Elise. It's true. I have no choice like I have no choice but to go to the forest._ Cooper said grimly.

 _Damn you Cooper. Does your life depend on it?!_ Elise yelled.

 _Well no. But-_

 _Are you being forced to?!_ Elise interrupted.

 _Well. Technically no but-_

 _Then you do have a choice! So why are you denying it?!_ Elise yelled.

 _Because he's coming to meet me young one. I am the one saying that he has no choice._ Conter interrupted their conversation.

 _What? He's going to you Sleepy?_ Elise asked.

 _Yes. The ability that is keeping Cooper alive is the same ability I have possessed. He is coming back to the mountains to me to master this ability for the greater good because the world depends on it._ Conter said. Elise went quiet. Cooper felt extremely uncomfortable. He didn't know how she would react knowing that he was going back to the same place he nearly died.

 _I'm sorry Sleepy. I don't care if he has the same ability you have. I don't care if it's for the greater good. There are other people who are strong too. Cooper's not the only person the world depends on. I want him to choose._ Elise said. Cooper felt happiness run through him. Elise had basically said no to Conter.

 _Are you sure about telling him young one?_ Conter asked.

Cooper quickly went from happy to confused. _Tell me what?_ Cooper asked.

 _Cooper…. I'm… I'm…. I'm four weeks pregnant…. And I want you to be here with me when the child is born._ Elise said.

Cooper's heart stopped. He stood still while the others walked away. He was speechless. Elise was pregnant with a child. His child. He wanted to burst out with excitement. But at the same time. He wanted to hide in a corner where nobody could find him. How was he supposed to react to that. He was going to be a father! _Y-you're… pregnant?_

 _With our child Cooper. I didn't want to tell you at first because I was mad. But…. Damn it…. It's hard being without you Cooper. It's hard knowing that I'm pregnant with a child belonging to someone whose body is shattered. To a person who doesn't even know if they'll make it to that special person in the forest alive. It's hard Cooper…. An absol named Alan offered to let me stay at his place in the capital so when the child is born. They can live a good life. He offered… to take care of me…. I want to say no. But… but you scare me Cooper. So I want you to choose. If you tell me you'll come back to me after you reach the forest. I'll wait for you. But if you go to Sleepy. Then I'm going to take up Alan's offer. Please make the right choice Cooper. Please…_ Elise pleaded.

Cooper felt his emotions boil. He was angry, sad, happy, and scared all at the same time. He was angry that Elise would abandon him for some other person. He was sad that he would lose her if he decided to go to Conter. He was happy that he was a father. But he was scared of losing the love of his life and his only child. _Elise… I… I…_

"COOPER!" Morton shouted loudly making Cooper look up. He saw Maron running at top speed towards him with the others close behind.

"MOVE!" Maron yelled picking up the pace. Cooper was confused until he heard a sound from behind him.

 _MOVE NOW VERLIDIAN!_ Conter roared.

 _What's going on?_ Elise asked in a scared tone.

Cooper turned around and saw a Scourge haxorus speeding toward him at insane speed and before he knew it he felt the beast slam into him. He also felt one of the beasts jaw blades slice directly into his right arm cutting it off completely. He felt things crack in his body which he assumed were bones. But what surprised him the most was the pain that came with it. Cooper thought that he wasn't able to feel pain. But he felt all types of agony that couldn't be described with words.

His body was sent flying as the haxorus flicked his head quickly. Cooper crashed into the ground and felt something else crack in his body. His vision went blurry and the world around him became dark. He yelled in pain as he went motionless.

 _COOPER?! COOPER WHAT HAPPENED?!_ Elise yelled worriedly.

Cooper tasted blood in his mouth as he felt weightless on the ground. He saw lots of red in front of him and quickly realized it was blood.

 _COOPER SAY SOMETHING! PLEASE!_ Elise begged. He heard her crying heavily.

 _I… I'll… wait for you… my love…_ Cooper said quietly.

"KID? SAY SOMETHING KID? Shit shit shit! Help me carry him! We need to reach Fenna now!" Morton yelled lifting Cooper's body.

 _Wait! No! Cooper please say something else! Sleepy do something!_ Elise begged with the old being. Cooper's vision blurred out and he saw nothing but darkness. He heard a buzzing in his ears until eventually everything went quiet as the darkness encased him.

* * *

 **This was a very specific chapter to write. Lots of explaining was done here. I can understand if it's hard to remember. It's gonna hurt remembering as much of this as possible on the future if it pops up.**

 **ON another topic. I know there are some people who are pokemon experts or/and know how the pokemon world was really formed. I know they might say that this was all wrong and that it should be this way or that way. So I'm gonna tell you that I could care less. If you want to believe it one way. Then go ahead. If you're gonna stop reading my story because of it. Go ahead. But the pokemon world I have made is drastically different from the original. So don't ask me to fix it.**

 **Anyways. Criticism and reviews are appreciated as always. I'll see you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	17. Ride of the Valkyries

**Sorry about this one taking so long. I've been busy with school and the such. And I needed a break to think.**

 **But now here's chapter 16. I'm proud of this one. Came out better than I thought it originally would. Also required a lot of thinking and planning.**

 **So without more delay. "You've been challenged by Author Nice Guy Wolf. Author Nice Guy Wolf sends out Chapter 16"**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

 **Ride of the Valkyries**

* * *

Arthur woke to his back being hit with something hard and thin. His eyes shot open and he attempted to yell but realized his mouth was clamped shut. He looked around and noticed that he was in a dimly lit room surrounded by stone walls. He saw a serperior looking at him from the front of the room and quickly knew who it was. _Myra?_ Arthur thought confused.

He felt the same thing that hit him the first time drag across his back quickly and painfully. He growled and tried to turn around. But his legs were held together by chains that were pinned to the ground while his head was being held to the ceiling by an iron clasp around his neck. He shook his body violently to try and release himself from the chains. But to his dismay, the chains were too strong and wouldn't budge. "There's no use in trying to escape Arthur. So please don't make this harder than it actually is," Myra said quietly.

Arthur looked over at the glaring serperior. The old serperior still held the beauty she had eleven years ago with the exception of a few wrinkles. She wore a silver necklace around her neck with gems attached to it and a large golden bracelet that wrapped around her tail perfectly. Though most of her features were still there from the last time Arthur saw her. What she did not have was a smile. Instead he saw a blank face staring at him intently.

He squinted his eyes to see what sealed his mouth shut and saw that a brown rope was wrapped tightly around his snout. He reached down deep inside his body to try to summon the fire to burn the rope. But to his surprise he couldn't feel heat or flames inside. Instead he felt cold and empty. He looked up at Myra who was still staring at him. Then she said as if she had read Arthur's movements, "Your abilities won't work here. Those chains are made specifically to restrict your abilities and powers. So trying to escape is impossible." She raised her head and looked at something behind Arthur and nodded.

Suddenly he felt the whip that had struck him before hit his back hard again and again and again. He felt tears come to his eyes as the whip started to dig deep into the skin on his back. He felt something wet dripping down his back and knew it was his blood. His vision got blurry as the whip continued to strike him for the next minute causing him excruciating pain until Myra finally said, "That's enough."

Arthur's back felt like it was on fire which he thought was ironic. He wanted to let his body fall to the ground but the iron clasp holding his head up to the ceiling would hang him if he did. So instead he, with what energy he had left, continued to stand breathing heavily through his nose.

"Will that be all Madam Anders?" a male voice asked behind Arthur.

"Yes. That'll be all. I would like a moment to talk to Arthur alone. Thank you," Myra said staring at Arthur again. The person she was talking to came into view out of Arthur's right eye. A servine walked past Arthur giving him a quick look of disgust. The servine walked out of the room through behind Myra he couldn't see.

Now it was just Arthur and Myra in the room. A few minutes passed as Myra looked like she was studying Arthur from head to toe. She almost looked confused as Arthur looked at her waiting for her to say something. And after another minute, Arthur's wish was granted. "We found you lying on the ground in front of King Aaron's tomb. We don't know how you snuck into the castle unseen. We had guards surrounding the entire building. We tried to wake you up, but you were somehow completely oblivious to our attempts. But what's more surprising is how you've been sleeping for three days. I don't know how you got knocked out. I would ask you. But currently you're not able to speak. So let's talk about more pressing matters," Myra said moving her head close to Arthur's. "The people have called for you immediate execution the minute you wake up. I told them that you would most likely be transferred to the capital where they would decide what to do with you. But in the message we got back from the king himself. He ordered that your execution would be held here an hour after you woke up because he couldn't bear seeing you again. He asked me for the execution to be painful. He told me to make you suffer for what you've done. But the last thing he said in his message. Was that even after what you've done. He will still love you as his son. Not as a murderer," Myra finished.

Arthur stared at her with fear in his eyes. _Execution?!_ Arthur thought freaking out. He attempted to break through his chains again so he could tell Myra the truth. But as he struggled, he realized that even if he did break through the chains and told Myra the truth. She probably wouldn't believe him and even if he got out of the cell. How could he get out of the city alive? The guards would overwhelm him. He looked to the ground feeling tears come to his eyes again. Not from pain, but from sadness. He had nowhere to go. No one that could save him.

Myra turned around and slithered to the door. She turned her head around to Arthur and said, "So on your father's orders. Your execution will be held in front of the bazaar on the west side of the city thirty minutes from now. And for the next thirty minutes after that they will torture you endlessly until you are executed. I will also be watching. Prepare yourself Arthur. It will be a hard challenge to face." Myra turned around and opened the door and slithered through the frame. She looked at Arthur from the doorway and said, "Good luck Arthur. May your ride with the Valkyries be an easy one." And with that, Myra closed the door leaving Arthur alone.

Arthur felt fear run through him as he tried to think of any possible way to escape his bonds. He shook his body again pushing through the pain on his back. He couldn't think of anything that would save him. Vincent was either gone or hiding in the city. There would be no way for the old lucario to pull off another one of his crazy tricks to break Arthur out of his cell or from the grasp of the guards. _Vincent! Vincent can you hear me?!_ Arthur tried hoping to get a response. But he heard nothing. He realized there was no hope of escaping. No hope of saving the people who believed he was trying to run from a soon to be genocide he never committed. No hope of saving Ana…

 **O O O**

Arthur was being dragged across the streets of the city by four guards who were not even trying to be careful all the while the people of the city yelled harsh names and things at Arthur. Most of them were throwing objects or food at him which covered his fur with different kinds of color. Some even attempted to use their abilities on him. But the guards surround the four dragging Arthur would stop them and say that he would suffer punishment as if that was any better. He saw the bridge up ahead and noticed that the amount of people there had tripled. He even saw pokemon that were plagued watching him. _This fucking sucks._ Arthur thought as the guards yanked him across the bridge. Then it hit him. He was being taken to the west side of town. One step closer to Zulev. All he had to do was break through his chains and escape a city of people and guards watching his every movement and somehow get past the wall blocking the west off from the city. _As if it was that easy._ Arthur thought before getting stricken by a plate in the head. He saw blood come down between his eyes.

The guards continued to drag him until the bazaar and a large wooden platform in front of it came into sight. He felt his doubts and fears enter his mind again as he noticed the hundreds if not thousands of people watching from the ground, the houses, and even the skies. He quickly realized that even if he was able to break through the chains. There would be no escape. Not unless he created a fire that would have to be massive. But he didn't want to hurt the people or to burn down the town. There was no escape. Nowhere to go. _Damn it!_ Arthur thought angrily. He saw the image of Ana in his head and felt hate erupt through him. Not at her or anyone else. But at himself. He couldn't save her. He couldn't save any of them! He was hopeless.

He noticed Myra standing at the back of the platform with a few others which Arthur guessed were the high nobles of the city. The nobles glared at Arthur with hate and anger while Myra stared at him with a blank face. She looked completely still. Arthur couldn't tell what she thought of him. He thought that she might be trying to keep her composure as to not explode into rage or tears. But he couldn't tell.

Arthur lost his thought as the guards pulled him onto the wooden platform and through him down hard making him groan. A large claw grabbed Arthur by his mane and lifted him up. Arthur saw a large golisopod holding him up. "Hello 'prince'. You're going to hurt a lot today. I'm going to make you suffer immensely until you're begging for mercy," the male said before throwing Arthur down on his left hind leg. Arthur heard a crack in his leg and growled hard. He must've broken his leg from the feeling.

He heard someone moving towards him and turned his head to see who it was. Suddenly Myra was in front of Arthur looking down at him. She looked up to the crowd and yelled, "Silence!" Arthur heard the shouts and cries quiet down. Myra looked back down at Arthur and said, "The guards are going to remove the chains and attach ropes to your legs. That means you'll be able to use your abilities. But I wouldn't suggest it. There are a lot of good people here and most of them you have already hurt. So please. Don't struggle. This next bit is going to be hard." And with that, Myra moved back to her position with the nobles.

Arthur thought about what Myra had just said. The chains that blocked his abilities were going to come off. He would be able to activate his flames again. But at what cost. He looked around at the silent and impatient crowd. He remembered that he would have to burn his way out if he wanted to escape. But he couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that. The large golisopod grabbed the iron clasp around Arthur's neck and dragged him across the wood hard. He felt pieces of small wood stab through his fur and into his skin. He growled loudly as the golisopod laughed. The large pokemon stepped on Arthur's head and smashed it against the ground. He kept it there as four guards undid the chains holding Arthur together. While they were undoing the chains. Arthur didn't bother trying to resist. He wouldn't be able to escape if he tried. There would be no way out. He felt tears come to his eyes as. He couldn't save anyone. He couldn't save Ana. He couldn't even protect them. And now after everything he did to try and save them. He was going to die convicted of genocide.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" a loud voice yelled somewhere from Arthur's left. He and everyone else looked to see who it was. A mightyena on top of a building was looking down at the crowd. "I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW! THIS IS NOTHING PERSONAL! YOU'LL UNDERSTAND EVENTUALLY! NOW I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO STEP OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT TO GET CRAZY!" the mightyena shouted from the top of the building.

Arthur heard some kind of swooshing sound. Sound like the running water of a river. And out of the corner of his eye he saw water rising from the canyon where the bridge was. The people standing on the bridge quickly began to run away. He watched in awe as it rose to a tremendous height before it came crashing down into the ground into the large crowd. The people started to run and the guards that surrounded Arthur along with the golisopod on top of him went to stop the water. _What the hell is this?_ Arthur thought in disbelief.

He felt a tail wrap around him and he turned around to see Myra smiling at him. "Ride with the Valkyries Arthur!" Myra said before throwing him into the tidal wave. He felt his back flare up as the water slammed against it painfully. He reached for the rope around his snout and tore it off. He opened his mouth hoping to feel air in his mouth again. But forgot that he was in water as he swallowed down a large amount of it. He tried to reach for something around him. But the ground was too far away from him. He felt like he was going to drown as he yelled into the water and thrashed around. He took in another large gulp of water and he saw the world begin to blur away.

Suddenly a paw grabbed his left foreleg and began to pull him through the water quickly. He couldn't see who was pulling him through the blur of the water. After a few seconds Arthur was pulled out of the water and onto a solid surface. He felt another paw slam into his side forcing the water to rise from his stomach bursting out of his mouth.

"How did you lose him in the water Min? He could of drowned!" a female voice said worriedly.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. There was just a lot of water and people and guards and… oh I don't know!" a younger sounding female said.

"Enough fighting you two. How is he?" a much older female asked.

Arthur felt a paw on his shoulder as Min asked, "Um. Hey. Are you alright?"

Arthur felt his stomach gurgle and managed to push out, "Me? Oh yeah. Never better," before throwing up more water.

"You see. You could of drowned him," the second female said again.

"Are you three done? We need to go now before this gets too crazy," a different female said from a distance.

"Help the prince up and let's get out of here," the older female said.

Arthur felt a paw go underneath his right foreleg that lifted him up slowly. He looked to his right and saw a glaceon lifting his leg. He leaned against her as she helped him up so he could stand. But when he stood on his left hind leg. He quickly fell back down and roared.

"Hey! What's the matter?!" Min asked.

Arthur felt some kind of claw touch his right hind leg. The claw went up and down his leg feeling for some kind of broken bone Arthur thought. "The other one," Arthur said quietly.

Then the claw lifted and touched his left hind leg slightly and Arthur growled. "Great. One of his hind legs is broken. Alex. Freeze this leg," the older female said.

Arthur felt a paw on his leg and then a sudden chill as his leg froze up making him shiver. He felt the skin and flesh in his hind leg go numb making the pain more tolerable. "There!" Alex said lifting her paw off of Arthur's leg.

"Vivian. Think you can carry him?" the older female asked.

"Yeah. No problem," Vivian said.

Arthur felt two paws lift his forelegs slowly from both sides. To his right was the glaceon who was lifting him a minute ago. To his left was a shiny, purple vaporeon who looked like the younger one. They helped him towards a mudsdale who was crouched. Arthur looked around and saw the water that he was in a few minutes ago surrounded them. He saw guards beyond the water trying to get through. He was amazed at how the water hadn't scattered.

 _Are you alright Prince Arthur?_ Vincent suddenly asked out of nowhere.

 _Oh hey Vincent. Where the fuck have you've been?! I've been locked in a fucking cell the last three days! And to top it off my back feels like it's on fire which is astonishing for someone like me and my left hind leg is fucking broken you prick! I've also learned a lot about who you fucking are so you better give me some explaining when we meet or so help me!_ Arthur said angrily.

 _Yup. You're alright._ Vincent said quickly.

Arthur was going to say something back until the vaporeon and the glaceon started to lift him onto the mudsdale until Alex said, "Oh Arceus. Hey Mono. His back looks bad. Real bad."

"Yeah. Because it's been fucking whipped!" Arthur said annoyed.

"You're right. That does look bad. We'll have to take a look at it as soon as we get out of the city," Mono said coming into Arthur's sight. He saw a shiny purple honchkrow with pigments of red and pink on her feathers. She was extremely pretty.

The two girls on his side lifted him up onto the mudsdale quickly. Arthur grabbed onto the braids hanging down from Vivian's neck to balance himself. She stood up quickly and said, "Alright. Time to go."

Min ran in front and of Vivian and towards the water which she somehow pushed aside with ease. Vivian, Alex, and Mono followed Min through the tunnel of water until they reached an exit where the same mightyena from earlier stood in the middle of group of knocked out guards.

He looked over to the the five and said, "Hey guys. Just missed all the fun. Well. I say fun as in knocking out these guards here. I mean. You know it wasn't-"

"Yeah we get it Brandon. We have to get Prince Arthur here somewhere safe and soon," Mono said pointing to Arthur with one of her large claws.

The mightyena glanced over the mudsdale and looked at Arthur. "Oh yeah. That does look bad. Right! Off we go!" Brandon said turning around. His body glowed as some kind of shadow formed on the ground in front of him. Arthur stared at the the shadow as it emerged from the ground. He looked closely and thought for a second he saw a forest through it. But then he realized that he was seeing a forest. "Right. Ladies first," Brandon said stepping out of the way.

Vivian ran straight towards the shadow and as they got closer Arthur saw more and more forest until they stepped through the shadow and suddenly they were in a forest. He looked around in awe. _That's impossible._ Arthur thought as he continued to look around.

"Bout time you got here. We're about to have the entire City of Aaron on our tails," a new female voice said. Arthur looked over and saw a female lycanroc in midnight form was looking out to the City of Aaron. She apparently noticed him and said, "Name's Kylie sweetheart."

"Yeah," Arthur said back.

"Aren't you gonna tell me who you are?" she asked looking at him.

"Arthur," Arthur said quietly.

"Already know who you are though," she said with a smile on her face.

"Right," he said feeling dumb.

"Hey. How is everybody?" Vincent said appearing from Arthur's right.

"Oh hey Vincent. How have you been lately? I would be breathing flames on you right about now. But currently I feel like shit.," Arthur said staring at the old lucario intently.

"Damn. What'd you to piss him off Vince?" Brandon asked looking at Vincent.

"Oh don't worry. This is how he is usually," Vincent said back with a smile on his face.

"I second this," Alex said giggling.

"Great. Now that we've all established that I'm pissed. How about we state the unusual like the City of Aaron coming for us right fucking now!" Arthur said loudly making Vivian turn her head away.

"He's right. We have no time to lose," Mono said. "We'll catch up with the others. Brandon. Vincent. Think you guys can hold back the guards for a little bit?"

"Easy," Brandon said with a wild smile on his face.

"We'll hold them off. Get going," Vincent said walking to Brandon's side.

"Be careful you two," Min said to both of them. But Arthur noticed that she was only looking at Brandon.

"We'll be fine. Me and Vince can handle a simple group of guards on our own," Brandon said smiling at Min.

"You call that simple hot shot?" Vincent said pointing at a massive group of pokemon coming their way.

"Well. We can 'hold off' a massive group of guards on our own easy," Brandon said still smiling while Vincent sighed.

"Hope so. Come on. It's time to go," Mono said taking to the skies and flying away from the city. The others quickly followed.

Arthur saw the City of Aaron fade off behind him with the castle being the most apparent thing left.

He hadn't expected to have gotten through the city like that. He thought that him and Vincent would have been able to just stroll right through. But after his talk with the ancient king. It seems he was no longer travelling with just one person and that now with the group of people he was with. There would be no hiding. He turned his head back towards where they were going. And just when Cooper thought he had a break. He saw on the horizon a sight he had been dreading for weeks. He saw the west mountains and knew that whatever power he had deep inside was soon to be put to the test. He knew that his biggest challenge yet was sitting in those mountains waiting for him. _Zulev._

* * *

 **"Reader defeated Author Nice Guy Wolf. You got 500 for winning!"**

 **Had a lot of fun writing that chapter. Especially since I listened to the Ride of the Valkyries for god knows how long. It was a fun one to write.**

 **Again. Sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with a lot of things. But I'm hoping to get another chapter out next Sunday for you guys.**

 **Anyways. Criticism and reviews are appreciated as always. Good luck on your next battle!**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	18. Fear, Sorrow, Lies

**This one is on time. Wouldn't make you guys wait two weeks again. That would be just cruel.**

 **Well. With how long this one came out. It surprisingly didn't take that long. Which I'm glad it didn't.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this one. I did. "Chapter 17 pops up out of nowhere!"**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

 **Fear, Sorrow, Lies**

* * *

They had been running for nearly thirty minutes which felt like hours to Arthur. The bumpy road that Vivian ran across with incredible speed made Arthur's broken leg rattle back and forth painfully. It also didn't help that his back still felt like it was burning. He wanted to stop and rest. But at the same time, he knew that Vincent and Brandon were holding off the knights so that Arthur and the rest could get away. So instead he remained quiet and focused on the distant mountains.

Zulev was in those mountains somewhere waiting and watching. Arthur still had no plan on how to kill a Titan. Especially if he couldn't control his secret ability. But now that he could see the mountains. He thought of any and all ways to beat Zulev. Of course, he had never seen Zulev or the mountains. So he was already at a disadvantage in terms of using the environment. And whether or not Arthur would be able to scratch Zulev depended on the Titan's type. _Would type even matter against a Titan?_ Arthur thought, dreading the upcoming battle.

While the six flew by the trees. An interesting thought entered Arthur's head. Myra must've known about the rescue. As he thought it over. He realized that she set the execution on the west side of town to get him closer to Zulev. And close enough to see the bridge so the water could hide him from the guards. But the thing that Arthur thought about most was when she said to ride with the Valkyries. She said it before his execution and after the wave. _The Valkyries…_ Arthur thought looking at the five girls surrounding him.

"Who Are you girls?" Arthur asked from on top of Vivian's back.

"Didn't Myra tell you?" Kylie asked back.

"Valkyries right?"

"Yep."

"So that tells me who you are. But not what," Arthur said feeling the wind painfully tickle his back.

Arthur saw Mono fly down close to them. "We are the Valkyries of Lady Nightfall. She leads us as the queen of the Valkyries. Each of the eighteen Valkyries is a different type with a few exceptions like me. Lady Nightfall is the fairy type and she specifically paw picked each of us to become her Valkyries. She gave us a mission a long time ago to keep an eye on and to protect you," Mono said looking at him intently.

"Is that so? My back and leg say otherwise," Arthur grunted irritably.

Mono laughed loudly making the others look at her. "Do you really think that we would make sure that absolutely no harm came to you? I said we were given a mission to protect you. Lady Nightfall wasn't specific enough on how to protect you. So my mission is to make sure you don't die," Mono said.

"Thanks. Means a lot. I don't know what I did to piss you off. But I'd appreciate it if you showed a little respect," Arthur said angrily.

Before he knew it was coming, a claw had grabbed his throat and yanked him off of Vivian's back and onto the ground. The honchkrow tightened her grip around his throat making him grab her leg in hopes to get her off. But she was too big and strong. The others around them were staring worriedly but didn't say or do anything. "I'm going to be completely honest with you _prince_. The only respect you'll get from me is when you're dead. In my opinion. You don't deserve to be a prince let alone a king. I know how you act. We've been watching you since your fifteenth birthday. It's surprising how harsh and cruel you are and can be. You've already hurt your kingdom by existing. But now that you plan on attempting to kill a Titan. You're forcing us to protect you from a beast that's impossible to kill. But honestly. I think the world would be better off without someone like you," Mono said loosening her grip around Arthur's neck. She pulled her claw off of Arthur's neck, but not without leaving a deep scratch on it. Arthur reached and grabbed his throat whimpering.

"Was that necessary Mono?" Alex asked looking concerned.

"Don't worry about him. He'll only get a scar on his neck. Help him up onto Vivian. We have to keep moving," Mono said walking away.

Alex and Min got close to Arthur and attempted to help him up. But he angrily swung his paw in their direction making them jump back. He had already gone through so much in the span of a week and he didn't feel like having to deal with another pain in the neck. He began to stand up slowly on every other leg except his left hind leg.

"You really shouldn't be trying to-"

"Quiet!" Arthur interrupted making Min step back. He took a deep breath and stood on his broken hind leg sending a jolt of pain through him. He growled painfully but did not fall. He slowly but surely began to walk with every step from his hind leg being more painful than the last.

"I don't know what you're hoping to prove. But you're doing a shi-"

"Do me a favor and shut the fuck up will you!" Arthur yelled at Mono getting a surprised look from her. "The amount of shit I've had to go through in the last few days is amazing! So I would appreciate it if you didn't speak the rest of the way. I don't give a damn about some order and I could care less about your job to 'protect' me. So do one and shut it!" Arthur said angrily at Mono. The honchkrow stared at him wide-eyed. He began to walk slowly towards the mountains again walking past Mono. But as he walked past the honchkrow, he felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground where everything went numb.

 **O O O**

 _Is the infamous Prince Arthur feeling a little tired?_ a voice said in his head randomly.

 _What…? Where am I…?_ Arthur asked trying to look around. But all he could see was darkness.

 _In your head. You passed out a couple of hours ago from what your 'friends' think is blood loss. Surprising they didn't notice it before._ the voice said.

 _Who are you?_ Arthur asked curiously.

 _Ah. Of course, that's a good question. Turn around._ the voice said chuckling.

Arthur turned his head around and saw an empty white circle that was as large as him in front of him. _What?_ Arthur asked confused. If Arthur would've blinked. He would've missed the circle disappearing and reappearing quickly. He waited a few seconds and stared closely. And then it happened again. Dread filled his body and he took a step back. _What…_ he thought as he stared at the circle fearfully.

The circle started to fly away from Arthur revealing a colossal crimson and brown body. The body was coarse and rough looking and as he looked over the body he realized he was staring at a tyrantrum. The beast was staring back at him with a creepy smile on his face. _Z-Z-Zulev…_ Arthur said stuttering from the sheer size of the beast.

 _What's the matter, Arthur? Never seen a Titan before?_ Zulev said laughing loudly.

Arthur began to freak out. Not only was Zulev bigger than Arthur had previously assumed. But the tyrantrum was a ground and dragon type. Arthur's flames would be nearly ineffective against Zulev. He stood no chance against the massive Titan in front of him. _T-that's im-impossible…_ Arthur said baffled at what he was up against.

 _Not quite._ Zulev said without opening his mouth.

 _How are you speaking in my mind?_ Arthur asked watching Zulev sit down making the ground shake beneath him.

 _You tell me Drachen. How am I speaking to you? Should only be possible for a physic type like that old buffoon Vincent, right?_ Zulev asked looking at Arthur with a questioning face.

 _Well. Yeah. But… wait. You know Vincent?_ Arthur asked.

Zulev threw his head back and sighed heavily. _Don't get me started with him. I know him through conversations we have whenever he gets close to these mountains. He's not the friendliest person. Whenever I try to strike up a nice conversation with him, he always attempts to push me away. And if he can't push me away he says harsh things to me like 'eventually you'll die' or 'I hope you rot'. I'm just trying to talk to someone. The Scourge can be very… mindless. The only people who have intelligence are the king and his son. The rest are just pokemon who have been converted into brainless freaks to do his majesty's bidding. So I only really get to talk to Vincent. And he's just no fun._

Arthur actually laughed a little and said. _You too?_

 _Oh yeah. The only difference is I've had to deal with it for longer._ Zulev said laughing loudly again.

Arthur laughed with the giant Titan. For someone he had to kill. Zulev didn't sound all that bad. At least not until seeing Ana in bed with the beautiful fur on her arm turning a light brown. Arthur stopped laughing and looked down. He was laughing with the beast who plagued most of the kingdom. While he was having a good time, others were suffering.

Zulev noticed that and asked. _You seem upset. What bothers you, Prince Arthur?_

 _Maybe he doesn't like you because of what you are and what you've done._ Arthur said looking up at Zulev.

The large Titan frowned and said. _Yes. Maybe that is true. What do you think?_

 _My people are plagued because of you. I have to kill you to save them._ Arthur said bravely.

 _I think it is much more than just saving your people. Is there a special person?_ Zulev asked leaning down to look at Arthur closer.

Arthur didn't say anything for several minutes until he finally said. _My father and… Ana…._

Zulev leaned back and said. _Ah. Now I see. That is a difficult situation. Hmm…. Well. What if I were to tell you there is a way to cure them?_ Arthur frowned and looked at Zulev with a questioning face. _Yes. I know. My blood can save your people. But one. You'd have to kill me to get my blood. And two. You'd have to drag enough blood for the City of Aaron, Drachen City, and the Capital. That seems like too much work in my opinion. And too many to care about._

 _And what if it is too many to care about? They still deserve to live._ Arthur said getting angry.

 _Why should you care about them, Arthur? They resent you. They want to kill you. The only people who will truly understand you are those who are closest. I could save your family, Arthur. I could save Ana. The people will die out, sure. But I promise you everlasting power and control. They will worship you like a god._ Zulev said with a deep tone.

Arthur opened his mouth and then hesitated. He looked down at his feet. It took him a few minutes to say. _What's the catch?_

 _Submit to Ruan. Swear leadership and loyalty to him and you will reign as the king of this kingdom under his rule. Your family and Ana will be granted perfect lives. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to fear._ Zulev said smiling.

"Hey Vince! I think your prince is coming too!" a voice echoed.

Quickly enough to make Arthur jump back, Zulev leaned down until his eye was in front of Arthur again. _Think about my offer Arthur. Because I promise you._ Zulev said as Arthur began to see light. _You won't stand a chance against me._

Arthur saw the light rush his eyes and he raised his paw to block it. He felt a paw feeling up and down his left hind leg making him wince, but not as bad as before. He looked to see that it was Vincent checking his leg.

The old lucario noticed Arthur looking at him and said, "Look who's awake. Had my heart racing there. But it seems like your body was able to push through."

Arthur looked around and found himself in a small camp with a few beds set up. He noticed that there were some new people too. A cinccino was sitting behind him checking his back while an altaria had one of her wings under Arthur's head. It was so incredibly comfortable he wanted to fall asleep again. "What happened?" Arthur asked already knowing what happened.

"Well. We'd like to assume you fainted due to blood loss. Like to. But you never know," Vincent said standing up with a smile on his face. "You've just had it rough the last few days haven't you?"

Arthur pushed his legs underneath him to sit down. "You haven't been completely truthful to me have you, Vincent?" Arthur asked trying to get a confession out of Vincent.

Vincent's smile quickly changed to confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You have Z-Power like me, don't you? And to top it off. You've spoken to Zulev haven't you?" Arthur said making everyone look his way.

Vincent's face went blank and the lucario stared at Arthur for several minutes before getting close and looking carefully at Arthur's eye.

Arthur pushed the lucario back and said, "Hey! Do you mind?"

"Hold on Prince Arthur!" Vincent said getting close again. Arthur sat uncomfortably with Vincent staring directly at him. The lucario continued to stare for another few seconds before pulling back and asking, "You spoke to him didn't you?"

Arthur hesitated before answering. What was he supposed to say? Would telling Vincent that he had spoken to Zulev scare him?

 _A simple conversation is no crime._ Zulev said in Arthur's head from nowhere making him twitch slightly.

Arthur had hoped to hide the twitch from Vincent. But it seems the lucario had a good eye and said, "He's speaking to you right now isn't he?"

"Only a little," Arthur said quietly.

 _Only a little?_ Zulev asked.

 _Be quiet will you!_ Arthur said back.

"Wait. He's speaking to it?!" Mono said from Arthur's left making him turn his head quickly. The honchkrow was staring at Arthur with fear in her eyes.

 _It?!_ Zulev said sounding angry.

"There he goes again. He's still talking to it," Min said besides Mono.

"Now now. Everyone calm down. It's not as bad as it seems-"

"No. It's worse!" Vivian said standing in a fighting position.

"Alright everyone shut up!" Vincent yelled. "Yes. Arthur is speaking to Zulev. But not out of his own will. Zulev can only reach his mind from a certain range. We're close enough for Zulev to enter our minds. He's not just in Arthur's mind."

"What? He's in my mind?! Then why can't I hear him?!" Alex asked freaking out.

"He can only speak to people with Z-Power like myself, Arthur, and Brandon. He can read your minds. But not speak to them. And yes. I've spoken with him many times. Trust me. It's not as weird as you may think," Vincent said trying to calm everyone down.

"Can you tell that thing I don't like having someone reading my mind?" Kylie asked.

Arthur heard a loud and deep roar echo through the skies making him look around quickly. The roar was so loud it made the trees shake. He looked towards the mountains in the distance and felt dread come over him.

 _Tell your 'friends', that I don't like to be called it or a thing. He, him, or Zulev will work just fine._ Zulev growled in Arthur's head.

"Was that him?" Min asked getting close to Brandon.

"Um," Arthur said grabbing everybody's attention. "He would like it if you could… um… refer to him as he, him, or Zulev," Arthur said looking away.

"Hey Vincent. Are you sure he can speak to us? Or just Arthur? Because I can't hear him," Brandon said looking at Arthur.

"He'll speak to us if he wants. But it's strange that he's only talking to you Arthur," Vincent said looking at Arthur.

"Maybe Arthur is actually working with it- him," Mono said looking at Arthur. "It wouldn't surprise me."

Arthur was about to say something back until Zulev said. _My offer still stands Arthur. I hope to get an answer when you arrive._

"Arthur. What is he saying to you?" Vincent asked looking at Arthur concerned.

Zulev's words echo in Arthur's head making him think. He saw Ana in his head. The leafeon looked so precious. He couldn't look at her with the plague. It hurt too much. Arthur saw his old man lying in bed with a terrible looking arm. But he also remembered what his father had said to him. It still stung Arthur badly. He felt a dark thought enter his mind as he asked. _She'll be cured?_

 _Of course._ Zulev said in a deep tone.

"Prince Arthur? What is he saying?" Vincent asked again.

Arthur lifted his head and looked at Vincent. "He's telling me about… how annoying you are. Can't blame him," Arthur said chuckling.

Vincent took a step back and frowned. "Don't talk to him, Arthur. I don't mean any offense when I say this. But you two are more alike than I'd like to admit," Vincent said turning around.

"Shouldn't we be worried about that?" Vivian asked looking at Vincent.

"Not as much as you think. Though Arthur may be a little stubborn. He is not evil," Vincent said winking at Arthur with a smile.

"I hope you're right Vincent," Mono asked looking at Arthur intensely.

"You should trust me more Mono," Vincent said walking towards a tree. "It's going to get dark soon. We slowed down the guards and led them in the wrong direction. They won't find us overnight. I suggest we all get some sleep. It's going to be a long journey tomorrow. And if we're fast…. Maybe a fateful one…" Vincent said those last words looking at Arthur.

Arthur looked away and rested his head down onto the ground. He looked to his left and saw the altaria sitting down. She didn't even look remotely scared. "Uh. Didn't catch your name," Arthur said. She looked at him and then away. Arthur quickly became annoyed.

"Her name is Hannah. She almost never talks. So don't feel disrespected," someone said behind Arthur. He turned around and saw the cinccino looking at Hannah. She turned her head to Arthur and said, "Hi. My name is Nila."

"Nice to meet you," Arthur said.

She nodded and said, "Don't worry about Mono or Vivian or… any of them for that matter. Most of us come from horrible backgrounds. Some of us have been cast out, others hated by and attacked by their families, and some… abused…."

"I understand," Arthur said placing his head back down.

"Eventually they'll get used to you," Nila said laying down next to Arthur. "I hope you have a plan Arthur. Killing a Titan is gonna be hard. And believe it or not. Every one of us has a slither of hope that you can actually kill the beast. So get some rest. You'll need it."

Arthur glanced at the small cinccino who closed her eyes smiling. He relaxed his body and thought about how he had lied to Vincent. About how they actually had hope that he could kill a Titan. But even he knew it would be impossible. Even he knew he couldn't kill a Titan. He closed his eyes and began to fall asleep. _I'm going to save you Ana. We'll live happy. I promise._ Arthur thought slumbering away.

* * *

 **That's done. Glad it is too. I'm tired. And I'm going to sleep. So I'll make this quick.**

 **Criticism and reviews are as always appreciated. See you next time!**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	19. On the run

**My deepest apologies for how long it took to get this one out. I had lots of school going on and I pretty much scrapped this chapter about three times before finding a version I liked. And that's my fault. I apologize completely for that.**

 **Due to this one being really late. I'm going to still be writing another chapter this weekend and I hope to get it out either Sunday or Monday. I really don't want to make you guys wait again.**

 **So here is chapter 18 after a long wait. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

 **On the run**

* * *

Elise could barely understand anything coming out of Nelsa's mouth as the kangaskhan continued to talk about being a mother. Nelsa was a single mother herself of five and after learning of Elise's pregnancy, decided to teach the young flareon what it's like to be a single mother. And although Elise was grateful for the advice. It only reminded her of what happened a few days ago.

Elise had been so lost in thought as of late. She couldn't think straight. Couldn't talk right. She even had trouble eating. When Sleepy broke the connection between Elise's and Cooper's minds after Cooper was attacked by a Scourge. She felt the most horrid feeling ever. During the few seconds that she was still connected to Cooper's mind. She felt his pain. She felt his mind go quiet. It felt so real and impossible. She felt like another piece of her heart died when Cooper was hit. What made things worse was Sleepy hadn't said anything to her since then. Was she supposed to believe that Cooper was dead for good this time?

The other thing that had been on her mind was obviously her pregnancy. She was going to have to mother a child in a time like this with no home and no father. But then again. There was Alan's offer. The absol had offered her a home at his place in the Capital where he promised to take care of her and the child. Elise didn't answer him the first time because she knew Cooper was alive. But now she actually thought about accepting it. Cooper may very well be dead and even if he was alive. He wouldn't be coming to her. It made Elise's blood boil. He cared about some power more than he cared about his own child.

"Elise? Are you alright dear?" Nelsa asked patting Elise's shoulder.

The flareon shook her head and looked up at the kangaskhan saying, "Yeah. Sorry. I have a lot on my mind right now."

Nelsa looked down at Elise and frowned. "Are you thinking about him?" Nelsa asked. Elise drooped her head low giving away that she was. Nelsa sat down and rubbed the flareon's back. "I know it's hard. It always is. But you have been mourning for too long my dear. And it's time to think about the child and their well-being. I promise you. The pain will pass," Nelsa said smiling at Elise.

But Nelsa didn't know about Sleepy and Cooper. She didn't know that Elise had spoken to Cooper a few days ago only to here and feel him die again. It made her wince every time she thought about it. The pain that she felt the first time Cooper died had begun again and this time it was much worse.

"What about that hunk, Alan? Didn't he offer to give you a place to stay in the Capital? Seems like a pretty good offer to me. It would be good for the child don't you think?" Nelsa asked.

Elise thought about Alan and the Capital. The capital would definitely be a nice place to raise the child. There would be plenty of food and water and they would make lots of friends. They would go to a nice school and get a good education. And they would have a good father. Alan works as a knight of the Royal Army which meant the child would also be protected and could possibly gain a position in the Royal Army as well.

"There is that," Elise said laying down on her side. She looked at her inflated belly and stared at it for a few seconds. She wondered if the child was going to be a boy or a girl. Deep inside she hoped for a girl. _It would be easier._ she thought smiling.

"I say you take up the offer," Nelsa said looking at Elise.

"I should. But I don't know if I feel comfortable with it yet," Elise said looking outside the flap of the tent.

"Have you talked to him much?" Nelsa asked.

"Not that much besides the occasional 'hello' and 'how are you?'," Elise responded.

"Well maybe that's the reason. He likes you quite a bit you know and he really wants to get to know you better," Nelsa said.

"Yeah. I know," Elise said seeing the absol in her head.

Nelsa leaned down and said with a wild smile on her face, "You know. It wouldn't be such a bad idea to give your child a sibling."

Elise blushed hard and said, "W-what? N-no that's…" Elise stopped realizing she didn't know what to say.

Nelsa laughed and patted Elise's back gently. "It's just an idea. Not necessarily something that's needed. But I think it would be nice for your kid to have a brother or sister. And on top of that. Well. Imagine what a body like that would feel like," Nelsa said smirking.

"Nelsa!" Elise said blushing harder.

The kangaskhan laughed again while Elise looked away. She wasn't sure she even wanted to try anything like that again unless it was with Cooper. It just felt wrong in a way.

She heard someone approaching the tent and looked up to see who it was. Alan stepped through the flap and looked between Elise and Nelsa. He sat down quietly and looked up. He almost looked confused. A minute passed until he finally said, "There's been a change of plans."

Nelsa stiffened and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well. The plan was to cross one of the Great Bridges up ahead. But unfortunately the bridge has collapsed for reasons we don't know. And what makes things worse is another bridge has collapsed to the west. We would fly everyone over the river if we had time to. But we don't have enough manpower to carry that many people over without the risk of the Scourge catching up. So in overwhelming odds. We're heading east where another Great Bridge is located. We're hoping after crossing the bridge we can reach Drachen City where they can provide food and shelter. It's a lot more travelling than scheduled. But we have no choice," Alan said looking tired.

Elise felt fear run through her as she asked, "How long will it be before we reach Drachen City then?"

Alan looked at Elise with a concerned look. He turned away and said, "I thought you might ask that." He sighed before saying, "Before we reach Drachen City. Somewhere around one to two weeks. And…" he stopped quickly glancing at Elise before saying, "Around four to five weeks to reach the Capital."

Elise felt like a hundred pounds of weight had just been dropped on her. By the time she reached Drachen City, she will have given birth. She couldn't wait that long.

Alan noticed the frustration in her face and said, "I'm sorry. I know that's horrible news to hear with the condition you're in. I wish there was more I could do."

Nelsa stood up and said, "Surely they must allow women that are pregnant with a child to be carried across. Elise is five and a half weeks pregnant. They have to make exceptions."

"I wish we could. But the captain said it would still be too risky on the other side of the river. He said there might be Scourge lurking close to the Capital as well and that sending the pregnant women over might risk their lives. Something he's not willing to risk. I would agree with him if there 'were' any Scourge on the other side of the river. But there's no way they could get that close. Otherwise we'd know about it," Alan said looking angry.

Elise laid her head on the ground. She had never felt so tired in her life. She knew it was from being pregnant. But she still couldn't believe it.

Alan stood up and stretched. "Well. We'll be travelling again soon. Prepare your things. The wagon is a couple of tents down to the left. Get there as soon as you can," Alan said to both of them, but was smiling at Elise before turning around.

Elise nodded and quietly said, "Thank you." Nelsa nudged Elise and tilted her head towards Alan. Elise looked at the absol as he was leaving and quickly said before he was out of sight, "Um. Alan." The absol turned around and looked at Elise. "Um. I would um… like to chat when we set up camp again," Elise said blushing. "I think it would be nice."

Alan smiled and responded with, "That sounds great. I'll talk to you then." He gave her one last wink and walked out of the tent leaving her with pure pink spots on her cheeks that were clearly visible.

"Oooooh he just winked at you! I'm so proud of you!" Nelsa said nudging Elise again.

"Y-yeah," Elise managed to say. _Is this wrong?_ she thought. She didn't know if Cooper was actually dead or not. And even if he wasn't. Would she still want to be with him? He was going to leave her to master his ability. He was going to leave their child for some power. So why was it so hard to get away from him?

"Anyways. I'm going to go get the kids and pack up for the trip. See you on the wagon," Nelsa said walking towards the flap of the tent. She turned her head and said, "Trust me dear. It'll be alright." Nelsa turned back around and walked out of the tent.

Now Elise was alone. She took a deep breath and stood up slowly. She stretched her body as gently as she could and grabbed her blanket. She folded it up so she could fit it in her bag. She walked around her tent picking up her stuff until she came upon the picture of her and her father. She looked at it sadly. The leafeon was smiling greatly while she was sitting in front of him smiling as well. She felt tears come to her eyes and picked up the picture frame. "I'm so sorry dad," Elise said quietly as she placed the picture in her bag.

She grabbed the last of her things and walked towards the flap of the tent wiping the tears away. She stopped in front of it feeling the cool air coming from the small gap in her tent. She took another deep breath and prepared herself to walk through until a familiar conscience rubbed against hers and she shouted in her head. _Sleepy?!_

She heard the deep voice sigh and say. _That damn fool is going to give me a heart attack one of these days._

 _He's alive?!_ Elise asked.

 _Barely. He's being treated as we speak. One of his travelling companions told me since he is out of my range._ Sleepy said sighing again.

Elise was so caught in joy and fear that she had forgotten to breathe. She thought about everything that had just occurred and how complicated it all became again knowing Cooper was still alive. She pushed that thought quickly away realizing how harsh it sounded.

 _You are conflicted._ Sleepy said in his deep voice.

 _I forgot you can read my mind._ Elise said walking outside of the tent. The cool air hit her quickly making her shiver. She looked around and saw knights taking down tents left and right. She remembered Alan's directions towards the wagon and took a left through the tents.

 _I am sorry for taking him away from you young one. I didn't want to hurt you. But it is critical that he reaches me. Not just for his power. But for other reasons I cannot disclose to you. Do not blame this on him. But on me._ Sleepy said.

 _No. He is to blame. It his choice. You cannot force him to come to you. He must choose. And if chooses to go to you. Then he has made his choice._ Elise said spotting the wagon where Nelsa was waving to her.

 _I see._ Sleepy said quietly.

She walked over to the wagon where two guards helped her inside. She found the same few mothers sitting and talking with one another while Nelsa sat with her five children. Elise walked over to her and laid down next to the kangaskhan.

"They say it's going to take another fifteen minutes to start moving again because most of the tents are still up. You should get some sleep while you still have time. The road up ahead won't be so subtle," Nelsa said frowning as one of her kids tackled another.

Elise stared out of the tent towards the mountains while Nelsa tried to calm her kids down. Sleepy was in there somewhere. Sleepy told her he was. She just didn't know where. When he told her where Cooper was going to find him, she thought he was one of the villagers who had hidden within the small valley watching it very carefully. But a piece of her said it wasn't that simple.

 _It's not that simple._ Sleepy said reading her thoughts without restraint.

 _I know. But you were watching us weren't you? Somewhere in there you were able to see us._ Elise said hoping for a confession.

Sleepy didn't reply for several seconds until he said. _Not in the way you are thinking._

 _It can't just be telepathic commun-_

 _It's not._ Sleepy interrupted.

 _Then what is it? You've told me nothing about who you are or what you are yet Cooper gets to be the first one to meet you?_ Elise asked angrily.

 _It's not that simple young one._ Sleepy said sounding upset.

 _Then what is it?! You said I'm going to be out of your range pretty soon which means we might not get to talk again for a very long time or ever! I might be heading to the capital where I'm going to live with my child and Alan maybe for the rest of my life. We might not get to talk again unless you visited. So please. For once give me some answers._ Elise begged.

Sleepy was silent for the next minute making Elise lay her head down in annoyance. What was so bad that he had to hide everything he was from her? Why did he have to be so indirect?

She continued to mumble in her mind about Sleepy and his secrets until he spoke again in a deep and dark tone she had never heard from him before. It was almost frightening. _Elise Angel Nightfall. That is your true name. Even if culturally it has always been the father's surname that is used. Your case is different. You belong to a family who has existed as long as the Scourge have. I have seen this family in the past fall and grow from dark times. I have watched them thrive through the darkness and the chaos. I have watched them fight against the chaotic king, Ruan. And I watched as they disappeared into the shadows where no one can find them._

 _Ever since their disappearance, I have lived here in my mountains watching, listening, and waiting. Everything has been so normal until two people unknown to me entered my valley. A leafeon and a astonishing looking sylveon who's beauty could rival the heavens themselves. These two people were your parents Elise. Zach Felix and Fenna Nightfall. And they, unlike any other person in the valley except one, were able to speak to me. But what truly surprised me is they knew who I was. And they asked me to act as a watcher and guardian over you. And they told me to tell you when the time was right. When the Apple of Discord arrives in the Unseen Kingdom. When the Titanslayer lights the skies ablaze. And when eldest of the two divided sisters finds her way home. They told me to tell you who you truly are and what you mean in this world._ Sleepy finished.

Elise took a minute to catch up on everything Sleepy had just said. She turned everything Sleepy had told him into questions and threw them back his way. _My last name is Nightfall? And what are you talking about when you say Apple of Discord or Titanslayer or the eldest of the divided sisters? It's all just so much so fast._

 _You wanted answers. And I have given them to you since the time is right._ Sleepy said with his new voice.

 _But I still don't understand. How do you know so much? How old are you? 'What' are you?_ Elise asked still trying to interpret Sleepy's riddles.

A dark feeling entered Elise's mind which made her tremble slightly. It felt like despair and anger and… rage. She felt power and rage bursting from Sleepy's conscience like a volcano was erupting. The flames seeped their way into her mind forcing her to feel a burn that she had never felt before. But at the same time she felt fear and sadness as cold as the winters in Conter valley cloud her mind with doubt and regret. It froze everything the fire touched.

But what was most noticeable was the city she stood in and the storm that was cast over it. She watched as the chaotic clouds vibrated with the booms of the thunder and as bolts of golden and blue lighting lit up the clouds and struck the city with precision. She watched as people ran in fear holding their children and as buildings came crashing down to the earth. And she watched as a beast so massive that for a second she thought she was dreaming ravaged across the city. It's monstrous size, rough body, and color nearly hid what she was looking at. But as she looked closer she realized she was staring at a galvantula who was staring back at her with its six gigantic blue eyes.

She heard a voice vibrate through the air that carried the thunder as it spoke. A voice so terribly cruel and powerful it froze her in place. "Hello Elise. My name is Conter. The first Titan."

* * *

 **So that's it for chapter 18. I really have nothing to say here besides another apology for being so incredibly late on getting another chapter out.**

 **Remember. I'm going to be posting another chapter Sunday or Monday of next week. So look out for that.**

 **Anyways. Criticism and reviews are as always appreciated. I'll see you next time!**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	20. Confounding thoughts

**I know I've been gone a while. School and other things have really been hitting me hard and I've been trying to get a new chapter out. But it's been very difficult to write with all the stress.**

 **But finally I'm able to release one and I am hoping I can revive consistent uploads.**

 **On other news. Another thing that's been holding me back is the plan for a new story. I've been brainstorming a lot and I've come up with a new story that I will be releasing within about a month I think. It's going to be called** "Angels and Demons" **. Now just a heads up for this new story. It's going to be very, very different from this story. It's still going to take place in the pokemon world. But I'm going to be warping that world a lot. It's also going to be very dark and it won't shy away from certain topics. I'm going to say no more besides that it may not be everyone's cup of tea and if you don't want to read it. I understand.**

 **But until then. I'm going to keep working on Scourge Wars. So for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

 **Confounding thoughts**

* * *

Elise was frozen in place as she stared at the the monster's gaze. He had six piercing blue eyes filled with rage and chaos and his body was made out of a thick layer of coarse, brown and dark yellow material. If it weren't for the dark yellow color tracing his body, she would've guessed that she was staring at a poorly made statue.

"No no no no no. It's not true. You can't be… you aren't…" Elise trailed off realizing that she had been talking to a Titan her whole life.

"Look around Elise. This is no dream. No nightmare. This is the past," Conter said in his thunderous voice.

"T-the past?" Elise asked looking around at the buildings surrounding her. She noticed right away that the layout and the design of the city seemed old. The shape of the houses was rough and was made out stone which wasn't used much in building anymore and the streets were made out of dirt and soil. She continued to look around at the buildings until one caught her eye. She stared at a collapsed temple towards the middle of the city and realized she was standing in the ruins of the forgotten cities. Her father told her stories about the forgotten cities which existed before the Age of Death. They existed outside of the borders of the Divine Kingdom and were believed to be controlled by the Scourge after the first Titan tore it apart.

Elise gulped and looked back at the Titan who was still staring at her. She felt sick realizing that she had not only been talking to a Titan her whole life. But the first Titan to ever exist. The Titan that sent the world into the Age of Death. "Y-you… did this?" Elise asked quietly.

Conter shuffled in place and looked at something to his right. "Yes. I did. I did it out of hunger for power and death," Conter replied.

Elise felt angry and sad. She hated herself for trusting a random voice inside her head. But at the same time she felt like she had lost something of value in her. Like she had lost someone close to her. She fell down and began to cry uncontrollably. "Why?! I trusted you!" Elise shouted at Conter.

"I know. I wanted nothing more than to tell you young one. But I was bound by oath not to. Your mother made me swear not to tell you until the day you left my range. She said if I told you. It would affect everything we've tried so hard to protect. I… I don't want you to hate me young one. I know I did horrible things in my past. I know I've killed so many people. But I have changed. I wish I had time to explain. But you are going to be leaving my mind's reach soon and I will no longer be able to talk to you anymore. When you reach your destination. Ask your mother about me. She will explain everything to you. I'm… sorry Elise. I hope in time you can come to forgive me," Conter said looking at Elise.

Elise attempted to say something but felt her body being forced out of the city quickly and Conter's conscience being ripped away from her. She woke up and noticed that the wagon she was in had stopped. She looked around and found that Nelsa along with her children and the other mothers were gone which made Elise curious. She poked her head outside and looked around to see if they had hit a roadblock.

She saw much to her surprise that the guards were setting up camps. Had she been asleep when she was talking to Conter?

 _Conter?_ Elise thought. It felt weird addressing the voice by Conter. She had been so used to calling him Sleepy. And now that she knew who he really was. She wasn't so sure it was a good reason to ask.

"I see you've finally woken up," Alan said from out of nowhere. She turned to her left and saw the absol staring at her from the side of the wagon. He looked exhausted and a little worn out.

"Y-yeah. How long have I been asleep?" Elise asked feeling a little embarrassed.

"Quite a while," Alan said looking at her. "Hey Elise. I got some bad news."

"More?" Elise said sounding more annoyed than she'd like to admit.

Alan sighed and said, "Yeah. Unfortunately for more unknown reasons, the Great Bridge we're trying to reach has collapsed as well."

"What…" Elise said quietly while her heart sank. As if things couldn't get any worse. Now they wouldn't even be able to reach Drachen City. They wouldn't be able to reach another city before she gave birth. She would have to give birth on the road.

She felt tears fill her eyes and she turned away to try and hide them from Alan. But he seemed to notice right away and said, "Hey hey. Don't cry Elise." He climbed onto the wagon and pulled her into a hug. She willingly leaned against him and cried into chest. "It's going to be alright," Alan promised as he wrapped his legs around her and rocked back and forth.

"Oooh. Looks like I've caught them in the act," Nelsa said from out of nowhere making Elise jump.

"N-Nelsa? How long have you been there?" Elise asked trying to hide the blush on her face.

Nelsa bursted into laughter before saying with a smug face, "Don't worry sweetheart. I haven't been here too long. Just long enough to see an adorable hug."

"Glad you liked it. Now. I say we get Elise to a tent where she can rest some more. Especially with the bad news," Alan said standing up.

"Yeah," Nelsa said looking at Elise with a sad smile.

Elise did her best to return it. But her mind was going a million miles a second. She felt like everything was being taken away from her piece by piece. She realized that she had lost so much since her home was attacked. First her father and then Cooper. Now Conter was gone. She felt her mind was empty without him. She felt like an entire piece of her soul and mind had been taken away when their connection broke. Now she was going to have to give birth to a child on the road.

Alan jumped out of the wagon and onto the ground where he stood next to Nelsa to help her down. Elise leaned out where both Alan and Nelsa helped her down to the ground. The rock underneath her feet was rough and bumpy. She steadied herself with the help of Alan who pulled her against him. Part of her felt like she should've pushed away from him. But she leaned against the absol.

"Right. Well I got to go attend the kids. I'll talk to you in a bit Elise. Get some rest," Nelsa said walking away.

"Ready?" Alan asked.

"Yeah," Elise responded as they began to walk.

"So Elise. You said you wanted to talk with me when we set up camp again. Would you like to… you know… talk? O-or would you like to rest some?" Alan asked looking at her as he place her bag onto his shoulders.

She knew he was trying to hide the fact that he desperately wanted to talk to her. It was written all over his face. "It would be nice to talk. Something to get my mind off the current situation," Elise said smiling.

"Yeah. I can understand that," he said sighing.

He understood some of it. But not the part about Conter. Not the part about a Titan who had committed mass genocide speaking in her head. Or was speaking in her head. Now all Elise felt in the spot of her mind where Conter lurked was emptiness.

Alan noticed her unease and asked, "Anything wrong?"

"No. It's just… I'm thinking about someone," Elise said as her tent came into sight. She could make it out easily in any camp that was set up from her name being on it.

Alan looked a little uneasy himself as he said, "Oh…."

Elise looked at him confused until she realized what she said and how it may have sounded. "I'm not thinking about him or my father. Someone else I met within the village a while back," Elise said hoping to get out of the conversation as they walked into the tent where it was warmer.

"Who?" Alan asked curiously as he pulled the bag off his back and started to lay the bedding out.

Elise tried to think of a random person who hadn't lived in the village so she could hide Conter. But as she did. A person came into her mind quickly and suddenly. She could see them clearly and perfectly like she had seem them countless times. "A lucario," Elise said abruptly.

"A lucario? What's there name?" Alan asked looking at her.

Elise looked down trying to jog her memory of who she was thinking about. She closed her eyes and dove deep into her mind until she finally remembered and said, "Vincent." She opened her eyes and found Alan looking at her as if she was mad. "What?" Elise asked.

"A lucario named Vincent. Do you know his last name?" Alan asked as staring at her intently.

"I don't know. I never really…. Magier. Yeah. Magier," Elise said confused. She tried to figure out how she knew who this Vincent was. She couldn't find any memory of him. But she could see him perfectly in her mind.

Alan sat down and stared at her for a few seconds before saying, "Are you sure that was his name? Vincent Magier?"

"Yeah. I'm sure," Elise said. _Or at least I think so._

"That should be impossible," Alan said. "Vincent Magier has been dead for forty years."

" _What?_ " Elise said.

"He was once the general of the Royal Army under the thirteenth Divine King. He had been imprisoned after the Corrupted King fell and was sentenced to death a week after. There's no way you could have met him," Alan said pacing.

Elise walked over to her bed and laid down trying to push the thought out of her head that she knew not one, but two people that had committed mass genocide. "Maybe I'm just imagining I saw him. I was very young at the time," Elise said trying to clear her head.

"How young?" Alan asked sitting down next to her bed.

"I don't know. Five or six I think," Elise said.

"What did he say to you?" Alan persisted making Elise uncomfortable.

Elise tried to search her mind for something else relating to Vincent until she stumbled upon something that gave her a massive headache.

 _...is not your enemy Elise. Do not let who he is cloud your judgem..._

Elise thought about the message and tried to figure out what it meant. She wondered if it was about Conter and to not let judge him even if he was a Titan. That had to be it.

"Um. He said…. I can't remember," Elise lied trying to keep the confusing secrets of who she's spoke to hidden.

Alan took a deep breath and said, "I think you might've been dreaming it. Not many people remember him which surprises me that you know about him."

"Well… I was pretty good in history class. I guess that might've been where it could've come from," Elise said resting her head on the pillow.

Alan pulled the blankets out of the bag and threw them over her. "Most likely. Though I'm also surprised that they talked about Vincent Magier in your school. The villagers of Conter Valley were kind of secluded from the world," Alan said.

"Yeah. I know," Elise said closing her eyes.

"Going to bed already? You slept for quite a while on the road," Alan asked.

"Yeah. Sorry. I know we were going to talk about other things. But I'm still feeling tired," Elise said yawning.

"It's alright. I understand. I'll let you sleep and if you need any-" Alan suddenly stopped as an all too familiar sounding explosion went off outside of the tent. Elise's eyes shot open as an image of her father came into her head. "What was that?" Alan asked looking towards the flap of the tent. Then another explosion went off which made Elise jump out of bed quicker than she should've of. She fell back down and groaned. "Hey. What's the matter?" Alan asked as he tried to help her up.

"It's them! The Scourge!"

* * *

 **I know this one kind of a short chapter for such a long wait. And I apologize again. I will do my best to keep consistency.**

 **Well. Criticism and reviews are always appreciated. See you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	21. Fenna Nightfall

**So I'm glad to have gotten this one out on time. I found that I quite liked writing this chapter.**

 **Well. I don't have much to say here. There's really nothing else I have to say.**

 **So since I got nothing. Here you go. Chapter 20- wait wait wait. Chapter 20?! Good lord.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

 **Fenna Nightfall**

* * *

Cooper felt a ringing in his ears that made him thrash and swipe in every direction. His eyes were covered by some sort of cloth and his body felt a hundred pounds heavier. The ringing seemed to only get louder as he continued to attack the air. He calmed his rage and listened to where the ringing was coming from. He tilted his head slightly and noticed the sound was all around him. He covered his ears with both of his paws and slammed his head down hard onto something soft which he assumed was a bed.

 _Wait._ Cooper thought as he twisted and turned his right foreleg as if he had a new toy. He squeezed and opened his paw to inspect if everything was working. Did he dream of having it cut off? Did he dream of being attacked by a Scourge? _Is it… all a dream?_

The ringing that had escaped Cooper's attention became louder making him clutch his head again as a new type of headache rolled in. He screamed into the air and slashed at the bed cutting and slicing it open.

 _Does it sting?_ a voice asked making him jump.

"Who's there?!" Cooper yelled as he reached for the cloth forbidding his sight. But two claws grabbed his paws and held them firmly. Another large hand grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the bed. He tried to break the grip on his paws as to attack. But whoever was holding him was strong. The ringing got louder again and Cooper felt like his ears were going to burst at any moment.

 _Can you hear the song?_ the voice asked.

The only thing Cooper could hear was the ringing that just kept getting louder. He felt like he was going to pass out.

Cooper felt the invader's conscience dig into his mind making him shake violently. The invader tore through Cooper's head as if it was searching for something. It continued to dig deeper and deeper until it finally stopped.

 _Elise._ the voice said sparking a memory of the flareon in his mind. He stood in the Golden Fields staring at Elise as she sat at the center of the blooming flowers. The color of the flowers matched the pigments of her fur which made her glow like the sun itself. But the smile she held was the most noticeable thing. He never thought anything could be more beautiful. The only other person that could match her was…. _Ana._

Cooper saw countless memories flood in. Memories of his grandparents' deaths and memories of his talk with Mr. Peters all forgotten. But the most important detail he had forgotten was his sister. The one person who healed him in his darkest moments.

The ringing in his ears slowly but surely slid into a calm and soft song. Cooper heard a woman singing in a tongue he had never heard before. But he could understand every word she was saying. His body relaxed and he the people holding him down let go of his legs and head.

"He can hear the song," a new female voice said.

The woman singing the song stopped and took a deep breath. Cooper heard the woman walking in his direction. The cloth wrapped around his head was taken off allowing Cooper to open his eyes.

Three different people stood in front of him one of which he recognized. Morton was smiling at Cooper and nodded his head. Another was a female zoroark who looked to be about his age. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed as she looked away.

But the third person in the room was what really caught his attention. A shiny female sylveon whose body made Cooper think she must've been some kind of goddess. The white color that covered most of a normal sylveon's body was a soft, light pink that had a striking resemblance to Ana's fur. But the the pink color covering her ribbons, head, tail, and legs were instead a bright gold color which reminded him of Elise. But her eyes were something else. A perfect diamond blue that could blind anyone under the right light.

"W-who are you?" Cooper asked staring at her.

"I think you already know the answer to that," she said in a soft voice.

"Fenna. But then that means..." Cooper trailed off looking at the room he was in. The walls seemed to be made out of quartz that had runes carved into them. They were covered in multicolored leaves and vines that had flowers growing out of them. The bed he was laying in was made of a soft fabric that felt like the softest cotton in the world.

"Welcome to the Unseen Forest," she said smiling.

"Gave us a real scare there kid. Was afraid the big guy was going to lose it on the Scourge if you died," Morton said laughing loudly.

Fenna shot him a glare as Cooper asked, "Who's the big guy?"

"Someone Morton shouldn't have mentioned," Fenna said still glaring at the conkeldurr.

"Excuse me my lady. It won't happen again," Morton said leaning against the wall.

She stared at him for another second before turning back to Cooper and saying, "Now. Where were we. Oh yes. That's right."

One of Fenna's ribbons quickly slapped Cooper's right cheek making him yelp. "Hey! What was that for?!" Cooper asked protecting the spot where he had been smacked with his paw.

"That's for scaring my daughter. I mean really. 'I'll wait for you my love'. Real smooth," Fenna said frowning at Cooper.

Cooper was embarrassed at how it sounded. But embarrassment quickly turned to shock as he asked, "Wait. Elise is your daughter?!"

"She is," Fenna said slapping his other cheek.

"Ow! What was that one for?!" Cooper asked trying to find somewhere to hide from the sylveon's menacing ribbons.

"That's for getting her pregnant at such a young age," Fenna said slapping him on the top of his paw hard.

"Okay okay! I can understand the first two! But why another!?" Cooper said looking at Morton for help. But the conkeldurr looked away quickly. What a friend.

"That one was for screwing both of my daughters at the ages they were," Fenna said looking angry this time.

"What do you mean both of-" Cooper stopped as he looked at the sylveon's fur again. The pieces started to lock into place except for one which made him ask, "But Ana is the Peters' daughter."

Fenna giggled before saying, "The Peters are Ana's caretakers. It's a rather long story that we'll get into some other time. But yes. Ana is also my daughter."

Cooper stared at Fenna in disbelief. He knew there were similarities in looks between Fenna and her daughters. But he was still surprised at the connection. Especially since he had done it with both Elise and Ana. He tried to think of something else to change the topic so Fenna wouldn't see the huge blush on his face. "So does that mean Mr. Felix is also a caretaker of Elise?" Cooper asked imagining the heartbreak it would cause Elise. As if she had enough already.

"No. He's the father of both. We had to separate both Elise and Ana from each other for reasons I can't reveal," Fenna said. "How is he? It's been a long time since I've seen Benjamin."

Cooper saw Fenna's expression change to one of great interest. It occurred to Cooper at that moment that she may not yet know that her husband died. "Don't you have spies or something watching over them? I mean. It would only make sense. I think," Cooper asked.

"We do. Unfortunately they cannot leave the travelling group of villagers. The soldiers have been very cautious about letting anyone out or in. And their disappearance would create confusion amongst the travelling party. They've lived in Conter Valley longer than you have. So we haven't been able to get any official reports. But Conter told Morton here about the talks you had with Elise which he told me about. So. How is he?" She asked again.

Cooper stood still trying to find the right words to use. It was already devastating enough to Elise. Ana didn't even know her real father was dead. And now he had to explain to the mother of both of them about how her husband died to Scourge. Even Morton and the female zoroark both seemed to be interested as they stared at Cooper.

"He's… gone…." Cooper said, the words coming out harder than he imagined.

"What?!" the zoroark yelled quickly walking towards Cooper. "What do you mean _gone_?!"

Cooper noticed the anger in the zoroark's face as she turned away placing her claws in her hair. He looked at Fenna who looked like a statue. He couldn't read her expression.

"Are you sure that he's…" Morton stopped choking on the words.

"I… I'm sure," Cooper said grimly. "Conter told me."

"How…?" Fenna asked quietly looking at the ground.

"He was…. The Scourge," Cooper answered.

"Wait. The Scourge?! They did this?!" the zoroark asked turning back towards Cooper.

"Analise," Fenna said getting the zoroark's attention. "Go to Kendle and tell her to prepare an Ascendance."

Analise froze before saying, "Y-yes ma'am." She turned away and walked out of the room.

Fenna took a deep breath before saying, "Come with me."

Cooper looked at Morton who nodded and followed Fenna. Cooper got off the bed and stepped on his right foreleg as if to check if it still worked. Thankfully it did and he ran to catch up to the two.

He exited the room into a hall that was dimly lit by a few torches on the wall. The walls had changed to a grey stone and were instead covered by vines that had thorns on them. Cooper caught up with Fenna and Morton and noticed they were passing many other rooms. But the rooms didn't look like the one Cooper had come out of. Instead they, like the halls, were dimly lit and had a bed made out of stone in each one.

"Is this a… dungeon?" Cooper asked sticking close to Morton.

"Yes. The cell you were in was designed for those we are unsure about. But the rest are designed to be uncomfortable," Fenna said looking at the rooms.

"But what about pokemon who are rock types? And can't any other pokemon just break out of these anyway?" Cooper asked.

"These were not designed for pokemon," Fenna said sending a shiver down Cooper's spine.

They continued to walk until they came upon a door that was being guarded by two scythers. One of them opened the door and they moved out of the way allowing the three to walk in.

Inside Cooper found a Scourge sitting on a bench who looked at them as they walked in. Cooper's jaw fell as he stared at a krookodile who looked angry.

"Ethan?" Cooper asked.

"Who the fuck else?" he responded in a deep, coarse voice.

"I thought…" Cooper said trailing off.

"What? That they could heal _this_?" Ethan said gesturing to his body.

"I tried. But his body has undergone a change that I can't seem to fix," Fenna said sounding even more upset.

"There's nothing left to fucking fix," Ethan said cursing some more before looking away.

"But then. How has he not lost control yet?" Cooper asked confused.

"That's the thing," Morton said. "He hasn't. And we think he never will. He may use certain words more often. But he hasn't shown signs of aggression."

"Hey. I'm right fucking here," Ethan said glaring at Morton.

"I should also mention," Morton said ignoring the cursing krookodile. "That when you got nailed by that haxorus. Ethan here took it upon himself to nearly kill the monster. He also managed to drag you and the beast here. And by drag. I mean he carried you both and outran us the whole way here."

"He did?" Cooper said looking at Ethan who looked away.

"I've seen too many die from them. Couldn't bother to watch it happen again. Don't think this changes things," Ethan said.

"It created a great uproar when he arrived. The guards nearly cut off his head before I was able to stop them," Fenna said looking at Cooper.

"Well. I'm thankful," Cooper said. Ethan turned away further. But Cooper could've sworn he saw him smiling.

"I think now that we've confirmed that Ethan isn't a problem. How about we get to the others," Morton said.

"What others?" Cooper asked looking at Morton.

But Fenna was the one to respond. "The Scourge Ethan brought in and another we found rather close to the forest," she said walking towards the door.

"Come on," Morton said looking at both Cooper and Ethan.

Ethan got up and stood next to Cooper as he watched Morton follow Fenna out the door. "Do you think they meant both of us?" Ethan asked.

"I think so. Let's see," Cooper said walking towards the door with Ethan right behind him.

They walked out of the door and into the halls. The guards both eyed Ethan suspiciously and cautiously. But they didn't do anything as the two caught up with Morton and Fenna.

They walked together in silence for another couple of minutes until they reach the end of the hall where there was a door that was defended by four different guards who all raised their claws and weapons as Ethan approached.

"No need," Fenna said making the guards lower their weapons. But they definitely didn't lower their guard.

One of the guards opened the door and the other three went in with him right behind them. Fenna gestured to Morton, Cooper, and Ethan to follow her in. They walked through the door where the guards had their weapons aimed at two Scourge. One was knocked out cold and Cooper recognized the haxorus that had cut off his leg. His body looked even more disfigured which Cooper guessed was Ethan's doing.

He looked at the other Scourge who was thrashing in place. His mouth was clamped shut and his arms and legs were tied behind him. Cooper felt something strange about this one. Something off. But most importantly for some reason. He recognized this Scourge. He didn't know how he knew. But he could see it right in the garchomp's raging eyes.

* * *

 **Wasn't the longest chapter. But I promise you we'll get there.**

 **I want to believe that my writing got better here. I have been reading a lot of books as of late. So I want to say I've improved. But I don't know. To me. I always think my work could use improvements. And sometimes I think that it's not that great. But I'm still writing because I want to write this and because I want to make people smile.**

 **Well. Enough of that. Criticism and reviews are as always, appreciated. See you next time my hidden friends.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	22. The Unseen

**This one is late. I know. My apologies. I have some reasons for that.**

 **1\. You're gonna love this. School. Never used that one before.**

 **2\. This was kind of long to write.**

 **3\. Spring break is upon us. And sometime during of the week of Spring break. I will be posting the first chapter of** "Angels and Demons" **.**

 **Now I've warned you before and I'll warn you again. It's gonna have a dark theme to it and the world of pokemon will be vastly different. And I understand there are some people on this site who don't take lightly to change. So to those people. Sorry. I could care less. You either like it or you don't. Simple as that.**

 **Anyways. After chapter one is out. Chapter two might not come out when I want it to. Reason for this is because I need to find time for both that story and this one. I might try a turn based system where I post a chapter for one during a week and post a chapter for the other the next week and then back to the first one like taking turns. I'll have to figure it out. So keep an eye out for that during the break. I will do another reminder for it next Sunday. So keep your eyes peeled.**

 **Enough talk. Let's fig- I mean read.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

 **The Unseen**

* * *

Cooper stared into the garchomp's villainous eyes. He swore he could see something behind them. Something that was important even if Cooper didn't know why.

"We found this one running around outside of the forest. He's been thrashing and clawing ever since," Fenna said looking at Cooper and Ethan.

Cooper was still eyeing the Scourge suspiciously while Ethan was growling angrily. "I remember 'this one'."

"Oh. How so?" Morton questioned.

Ethan seemed to go from big and angry to small and embarrassed. "He took the lives of many villagers. He was merciless…. And I… I watched… All I could do was watch…" Ethan got quieter with each word.

"There is no shame in being afraid of something you don't understand. What happened to your village was completely unexpected. There was nothing you could've done," Morton said patting Ethan's back with one of his large hands.

"Maybe not then. But now…" Ethan said looking murderous.

Cooper saw the look in Ethan's eyes this time. Eyes that had seen so much death and was seeking a way of redemption. In his case, Ethan was looking for revenge and Cooper had no doubt the massive krookodile would kill the garchomp in front of them if he got the chance.

The guards had now turned around with their weapons raised at the krookodile who was gradually walking towards the Scourge garchomp. Cooper didn't know if they would even be able to take on Ethan. He was taller and much stronger than what he previously looked like and he managed to carry both Cooper and the big Scourge haxorus to the Unseen Forest faster than Maron, Mary, or Morton. The guards must've known it too. There was fear in their expressions and in their stance.

Morton quickly got in Ethan's way blocking him. Previously Ethan and Morton were around the same height. But now Ethan was towering over Morton making the conkeldurr look puny. But he remained unphased as he said, "Calm yourself Ethan. I know you're angry. We all are. What happened to the people of Conter Valley was horrible. But killing this monster won't change anything. It'll only make things worse for you and everybody else. Please control yourself."

Ethan stared at Morton intently before looking at the four guards who had their weapons aimed at Ethan. He knew just as much as Cooper that he could take them easy if he truly wanted to. It would be an easy battle.

Ethan caught Cooper's eyes and looked back at him. Cooper shook his head and mouthed, "It's not worth it", silently. Ethan looked at the garchomp for a minute before nodding and backing up.

"Do not worry yourself Mr. Vander," Fenna said making the krookodile go wide-eyed. "This Scourge will pay in time. For now we need to get as much information from both him and this one," Fenna gestured to the still knocked out haxorus.

"How do you know my last name? I never said it," Ethan asked confused and cautious.

Fenna smiled, "You didn't have to tell me."

Ethan looked like he wanted to say something. But withheld as Cooper interrupted, "I think I've seen this garchomp somewhere before."

Fenna turned her attention towards Cooper and asked, "From where?"

Cooper honestly didn't have a good answer for her. He recognized the garchomp from somewhere a long time ago. He just didn't know exactly where and when. "I… don't know. But I swear I've seen him somewhere before. I know I did. It's just… foggy. Like it's there but it's not," Cooper answered.

"That is interesting. I wonder why you can't-" Fenna stopped suddenly.

"You alright m'lady?" Morton asked worriedly.

Fenna turned her head away and Cooper thought he heard her curse under her breath something about a lucario. She turned back and said, "The memory you have of the garchomp must be erased at the moment."

Cooper looked both confused and horrified at the moment. "What do you mean _erased_?" Cooper asked, his voice wavering. "And how many?"

"It shouldn't be that many. But someone _has_ been erasing your memories. Don't worry. They had to have done it for a good reason," Fenna said as if she knew who did it.

He didn't know whether to feel creeped out or angry. Who knows what other memories could've been taken from him. But it wasn't new to him. He had forgotten about Ana and the Peters somehow. Maybe they were taken as well and Elise's name somehow made him remember. "I forgot about Ana and the Peters and all it took was Elise's name to remember them. Maybe this is similar?" Cooper asked hopeful.

"No. That was simply brain damage. Your noggin was in a pretty bad state when we found you. Plus. The way the memory of this garchomp was taken cannot be so easily remembered. It would take a lot more than a keyword," Morton quickly said.

"Oh."

"Relax Cooper," Fenna said patting his back with one of her ribbons. "The man who took them had a reason to do so. He always does. It will be a while before you ever encounter him again though. He's busy with something at the moment."

Cooper opened his mouth to say something. But was quickly silenced as the zoroark from earlier came in. She flinched and jumped back at the sight of Ethan which got a growl out of him. But she steadied herself and said, "Lady Nightfall. The Ascendance will be ready in two hours."

Fenna's expression fell quickly. "I see," she said waiting a few seconds before asking, "What of Sphyn?"

Analise looked at Cooper and Ethan before responding with, "He has almost reached his destination."

"Good. Well unfortunately there was nothing for us here. This was supposed to be a checkup and it was. But I was hoping for something else. It doesn't matter. We'll try again some other time," Fenna said before turning back around to the four guards. "Keep watch on these two for now. In two hours. Put those two in a deep sleep and come to the main plaza." The four guards nodded and waited until everybody had left the cell to lock the door.

The five walked down the halls in awkward silence. Fenna was still expressionless making Cooper wonder if she was actually sad about her husband's death or not. At first it sounded like it affected her greatly. But then again. She had left Benjamin with Elise and Ana with the Peters. Did she actually love Elise's father?

He was very curious and wanted to know the answer. But he didn't know how to ask the question and whether or not to ask it in the first place. It would be like insulting her which was not something Cooper wanted to do. So instead he asked, "What is an Ascendance?"

Fenna was the first to answer. "A transfer from the mortal world to the afterlife," Fenna said quietly.

Cooper waited for an explanation until he realized he wasn't going to get one from her. Morton noticed and said, "The Unseen perform a ritual of transference when someone passes away. The Unseen are the only ones who perform this ritual because of their long lives. And they take it very seriously. For example. If someone between the outer and inner walls of the Divine Kingdom passed away. Family and friends would attend the funeral and their would be a small mourning that followed. But not for the whole kingdom. Here. Losing someone is a very big deal and their way of honoring that someone is a ritual known as Ascendance. Everyone in the forest will attend bringing foods, flowers, and trinkets that relate to the person who passed. Afterwards. A great and long song will be sung beginning with the family, then friends, then eventually the whole forest. It's said when this song is sung flowers bloom to perfection, the trees twist and turn in an elegant dance, and the sky glows with the entire spectrum of colors."

"The Aurora," Cooper said in disbelief.

The blankets of light that wiggled across the sky was one of the greatest spectacles in the world. But it was extremely rare. Most people went entire lives without ever getting to see it. Some say it's completely random, others say it requires some kind of event to occur, and most believe there's a pattern to it. But even scientists weren't able to figure out when the next one would occur. Cooper now understood why.

Morton nodded before continuing, "The Unseen know many songs that each have a different effect on the world. Most are beautiful. But there are some songs that are used as a defense. And very few songs that are used for an attack. The Unseen have no need to use them and let's hope it stays that way."

Cooper knew what Morton was talking about and he was hoping for it to be that way as well. But he still had to ask, "Do you think we'll go to war with the Scourge?"

"Whether or not war occurs. We will be ready," Fenna said ending the conversation.

Cooper wanted to learn more about the songs and the war that may come. But he decided to remain quiet as they approached a set of stairs that led outside.

Fenna stopped right before the stairs and turned around to the four behind her. "Alright. For now I must prepare for the Ascendance. Morton. Take these two to the guest rooms. Analise. Find Mabel and send her to Ethan so he can learn how to resist the song. And-"

"What do you mean resist the song?" Ethan interrupted.

Fenna looked over at the large krookodile and said, "As much as you may have control of your body Ethan. The song still affects the Scourge drastically. And I'm afraid if we're not careful, it might hurt you or worse."

Ethan didn't say anything after that. But he looked nervous now and a little frightened even after his attempts to hide it.

"Cooper. Make sure you stay by his side. Not to keep an eye on him," Fenna said before Ethan got the chance to retaliate. "But to make sure he's not attacked. I don't doubt your defense Ethan. But I don't doubt my people will attack at first sight if they saw a Scourge walking through the forest alone. That's why Cooper will be with you so you aren't attacked and hopefully no problems will arise."

Both Cooper and Ethan nodded even though Ethan looked a little ticked off.

"Good. Everyone be on their way now. I'll see most of you in two hours," Fenna said as she walked up the steps and outside with Analise right behind her.

Both Cooper and Ethan looked a little hesitant as Morton beckoned them to follow him. The rumors about what lied in the forest all talked about a maze that no one knew the way out of. Cooper never imagined that he'd be in the forest or talking to people who have lived there for a very long time.

"Well? Are you two going to continue standing there or are we going to get moving?" Morton asked from atop the steps.

Cooper started walking up first while Ethan walked behind closely. When they reached the top of the steps and walked outside. The first thing Cooper noticed was the strong and sweet smell of the forest. It seems he wasn't the only one as Ethan staggered from the smell.

"Wow. That's strong," Ethan said regaining his balance.

Cooper thought it was more than strong. It was practically hypnotizing. He could smell all kinds of foods and plants. He could even smell the prominent nectar emitting off of people who weren't in sight.

Cooper was also amazed at the massive trees that surrounded them. They came in all different kinds of shapes and colors and had branches that extended far out from the trunk. Each branch was covered in flowers and massive leaves that blocked out the sky. The roots of the trees ran deep through the ground and several meters away from the the trunk until they disappeared. It was much more beautiful than Cooper had previously thought. It was almost like a paradise.

Cooper also noticed the odd looking houses. Some were built into the trunks of the trees or even on the branches of the trees themselves. Other houses were connected to the roots and most were just on the ground. But even they had odd shapes and sizes.

Morton cleared his throat waking Cooper and Ethan from their trance. "I know it's a lot to take in. But it would be best to not stay in the open for long," Morton said gesturing to the glaring crowd around them.

Cooper could see that most of them were confused while others looked ready to leap at Ethan. Morton was right. If they decided to stay in the open any longer. There might be a showdown between Ethan and the forest. And the odds were not in Ethan's favor.

"Alright alright. You've done your staring. Get a move on," Morton said as he began to walk. Cooper and Ethan followed the conkeldurr through the crowd of people where some were still staring with either confusion or the intent to kill.

Cooper decided it was a good moment while they were walking to hopefully clear some stuff up. "So Morton. Does Fenna have an ability to regenerate legs that are torn off?" Cooper asked looking at his right foreleg as if it weren't supposed to be there.

"No. She does not," Morton answered quickly.

Cooper waited a few seconds for another big explanation. But was met with silence instead. So he tried again and asked, "Then how?"

"It's complicated kid. You wouldn't understand right now. You will eventually. But not yet," Morton said making Cooper frown. More questions was not what he was looking for.

"Well can you at least answer how you know so much about these Unseen and their songs? Do you live here or something?" Ethan asked surprising Cooper.

"I don't live here. Never have. But I have been here enough times to know this place inside out. Even then, however, I don't know everything about the Unseen. They're very secretive people if you haven't already noticed," Morton said chuckling.

"Yeah," Ethan said chuckling as well that almost sounded evil due to his hoarse voice.

"Do you know about the song that I heard when I woke up? It started as a ringing at first until I saw the memories of Elise, Ana, and my foster family," Cooper asked.

"Lord. So many questions," Morton said looking older as he slouched down.

"No one is giving me answers," Cooper mentioned.

"Yes. And for good reason to. There are some things you are not yet ready to know. The song you heard was one of them," Morton said.

"Great," Cooper said trying to sound as sarcastic as possible.

"What's so bad that you have to hide from Cooper?" Ethan asked. Ethan never really asked that many questions back in Conter Valley. He was always the type that thought he knew more than everybody else. It was also quite shocking that he was asking about Cooper.

"It's not necessarily something that's bad. It's just something we can't share without causing… issues," Morton said.

Now it was Cooper's turn to be annoyed. He knew he had a specific ability that made him stronger. But he didn't believe they made him anything special. It also occurred to him that Ethan didn't know about Conter or about Cooper's ability. Something the large krookodile would probably find very annoying.

"You're making it sound like Cooper is important," Ethan said getting a look from Cooper. "No offense."

"Cooper will be the one to explain that to you. It's not my secret," Morton said putting Cooper on the spot.

"What secret?" Ethan asked looking at Cooper suspiciously.

Cooper hesitated a looked away. It took him a minute before he finally responded with, "While we were travelling. There was… a voice in my head." Cooper turned back after a few seconds to look at the krookodile who was staring at him. "What?"

Ethan bursted into laughter that instead sounding like he was choking. Cooper noticed that all eyes were on them now. Ethan didn't seem to notice as he continued to laugh before saying, "A voice in your head? Arceus, you really went crazy." Morton had stopped in the road and was now glaring at the krookodile intently. It was another couple of seconds before Ethan was finally able to control his laughter.

"Are you done?" Morton asked clearly annoyed.

"I'll think about it," Ethan said with a grin.

"It's true though. His name his Conter," Cooper said.

"Like the mountains?" Ethan asked looking at both of them as if they were crazy.

"Yeah. Like the mountains. He's actually as old as they are," Cooper said.

"Really? How do you know all this in the first place? Did he tell you?" Ethan asked sounding unconvinced.

"Yeah. He did. He also knew you were turning before you did. It's how I knew," Cooper admitted.

"Oh. So you knew and you didn't tell me? So far you have a voice in your head and you knew that I was going to become this creature. Got any other confessions?" Ethan asked angrily.

"Ethan. Relax. It was Conter's wish that you were not to be told. It would only make things worse for the trip and for you. We needed to stay focused. If there's anyone to be angry at. It will be him," Morton said.

"Cool. So where in the mountains do I go to yell at him? Surely you can tell me," Ethan asked looking at a group children who were staring at him in awe. Though Ethan didn't seem to appreciate their attention.

Morton gave both of them a big smile and said, "The center. And luckily. Both of you will be travelling there an hour after the Ascendance."

* * *

 **I'm proud of this chapter. Felt good to write. Also tiring. But whatever.**

 **Remember that if you are following this story or if you have it as a favorite only. Then you won't get any notification for my new story. Not saying you have to follow or favorite me. I'm just saying you'll have to check for it.**

 **Anyways. Criticism and reviews are always appreciated. And so you know. That means I want brutal honesty. None of that "oh it's fine" stuff. See you next time my friends.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	23. Bond

**Sorry this one took a little longer to get out. I've been working on plans for the new story which will come out Wednesday. So keep an eye out for that.**

 **This chapter is also a little shorter than usual. So don't expect much.**

 **Don't worry. There will be longer chapters coming soon.**

 **Anyways. Here's chapter 22. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

 **Bond**

* * *

"What?!" Cooper and Ethan said in unison.

Cooper understood having to travel to Conter so he could supposedly finish his training. But taking Ethan with him? And so soon? They had just reached the Unseen Forest. Now they had to leave hours after Cooper woke up. He didn't even know where to begin with complaints.

"Oh no no no no no. That wasn't the deal. We've reached the Unseen Forest. Now we head to the villagers. _That_ was the deal. Not travelling back to the same place we came from," Ethan said angrily.

"I know that is what I said. And it was true at first. But recent circumstances have changed our plans. Look at yourself Ethan. You can't go to them-"

"I don't care what I look like!" Ethan shouted grabbing the attention of everyone around them.

"Please. Here me out first. I know you want to see them. But… you can't. Not yet. They have been through many terrible things. Seeing another Scour-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Ethan roared making Morton jump back, "Don't you understand what I've been through?! I spent days under rubble listening to the cries, screams, and death of people I've known all my life! I spent weeks taking in the scent of rotting corpses, ash, and blood! In those four weeks, all I wanted to do was see them! All I wanted to do was hug my father! And now I've become this creature! But hear me and hear me well! I am not Scourge and I never will be!"

Cooper feared Morton might get himself killed if he said anything else. So he stepped in and said, "Ethan I'm so sorry. I didn't think they'd make you come with me. It was only supposed to be me."

"You knew about this?" Ethan asked staring at Cooper intently.

"Not all of it. I knew the part about travelling to him myself to master this ability of mine. I never knew they were going to make you come with me," Cooper responded.

"You… you were never going to return them? You were going to abandon them to some… _voice_?" Ethan asked.

"I'm not abandoning them. But I have to do-" Cooper was cut off as the large krookodile tackled him to the ground. Cooper tried to shake Ethan off of him. But he was much bigger and stronger than him and completely overpowered him.

"YOU BASTARD!" Ethan said striking Cooper in the face with his fist. "YOU NEVER CARED FOR THEM! SO MANY OF THEM DIED AND NOW YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY!"

Cooper tried to say something. But was stopped as another fist slammed into his stomach knocking the air out of him. He noticed Morton and many others were trying to pull the furious krookodile off of him. But Ethan was immensely strong and refused to let Cooper go as he threw another punch into his face.

"Ethan! Get off of him!" Morton said slamming one of his massive concrete pillars into Ethan's side knocking him off of Cooper's body. Cooper clutched his stomach and groaned in pain.

"Quick! Someone kill him before he gets up!" a person said. Cooper watched as the people of the forest began to surround Ethan with their claws and weapons ready. He knew he had to do something quickly to protect Ethan both from the people and himself. And he knew just what to do.

"She's pregnant!" Cooper shouted without hesitation.

The crowd had now suddenly stopped and were staring at Cooper with confusion. But Ethan was staring at him in shock.

"What did you say?" he asked Cooper.

"She told me herself. She's pregnant. I didn't know until a few hours after I had woken up from my coma. But she's pregnant. And I want nothing more than to see her. To see my child. I hate myself for making her wait for me. I hate myself because I won't get to see my child's birth. And I hate myself because another man has offered to take care of both of them in my place," Cooper said feeling his eyes water. "I know we've never had a good past. But… I'm sorry. I never knew things were going to go this way. I wanted to live a happy, peaceful life with her. To live like everyone else. To have a family. But things have changed. And now I have to go talk to some _voice_ in my head instead of seeing her."

Cooper closed his eyes trying to contain the tears. But he couldn't control himself. He had lost so much so fast. And now he might never even get to live that typical life where he can fall in love and raise a family.

"No," Ethan said making Cooper look up. "I'm sorry. I have caused you so much pain in the past. And now I've accused you of abandoning them. I acted rash and out of place. I didn't understand your situation. I'm sorry."

Ethan stood up slowly as the crowd around him raised their guard. But they stepped out of his way as he walked over to Cooper. When he reached him, he held out a claw to help Cooper up. Cooper stared at the krookodile for a few seconds before grabbing his claw and standing up.

"Um. Is this a bad time?" a soft female voice asked. Both Cooper and Ethan turned to their right and found a lilligant looking at both of them.

"Mabel. I thought you would be waiting at the guest rooms," Morton said walking over to Cooper and Ethan.

"I was going to. But… I got concerned after I heard yelling and came to see what was going on," she said quietly. Cooper noticed that she was very nervous and seemed to not want to look them in the eyes.

Morton turned to the crowd next to them and said, "Alright. Move along. The time for the Ascendance is almost here." He turned back to Mabel and said, "Sorry about that. Let's to get the room shall we." The crowd dispersed slowly keeping their eyes on Ethan

"Okay," She said turning around. "Follow me."

Morton followed Mabel with Cooper and Ethan right behind them. Neither of them said a word to each other as they followed Morton and Mabel until Ethan finally decided to break the silence, "So Cooper. You said Elise told you. How? Can she speak in your head as well?"

"No. Conter has a really good telepathic mind that can stretch over long distances. That mind also somehow allows him to connect minds to others. That's how I was able to speak to her," Cooper admitted.

"Did you talk to anyone else besides Elise?" Ethan asked curiously.

"No. I was only able to talk to her," he said.

"Okay. But I'm still somewhat unconvinced. Why has this Conter only reached out to you and Elise and nobody else?" Ethan asked.

"Because they're unique," Morton answered before Cooper got the chance to.

"What does that mean?" Ethan asked looking a bit jealous.

"They have unique abilities. These abilities are called Z-Power. You may have heard of it," Morton said looking at Ethan.

"Wait. She does too?" Cooper asked in awe.

"In a sense. But it's different for everyone. Her Z-Power will act a different way than yours," Morton said now looking at Cooper.

"How does mine-" Cooper stopped as he realized what it was. He could run faster than anyone in the world. No. He _had_ run faster than faster than anyone in the world.

"What?" Ethan asked.

"Well. I can run incredibly fast," Cooper answered quietly.

"How fast?" Ethan persisted.

"About ninety-six miles per hour," Cooper said easily knowing how ridiculous it sounded.

"Ninety-six? You're joking right?" Ethan asked in disbelief.

"I wish I was," Cooper said.

"Wait. So that's your unique ability that Morton was talking about. But he also said Elise had one," Ethan said.

"Oh. Forgot to tell you that Elise is Fenna's daughter," Morton said.

Ethan's jaw fell and he turned to Cooper who was nodding. "But then why has she been living inside Conter Valley all her life instead of here?"

"We had to keep her safe. She is very important," Morton said as the four arrived at a building that stuck out from the others.

It looked like any normal house except it was much, much larger and had a tree growing out the center of it. Vines covered every spot of the house with multicolored flowers and leaves and it was protected from the sun by the tree's branches and leaves.

"We're here," Mabel said walking to the door. She opened it with a key and walked inside. The others followed close behind into the wacky looking building.

It was crazier on the inside then it was on the out. The floor was covered by a carpet made out of leaves and the walls were made out of wood that looked alive.

"Welcome to the guest house. Mr. Verlidian. Your room will be up the stairs and two doors down to the left. And Mr. Vander. If you could follow me to your room, I'll show you how to resist the song," She said.

"Good. Well. I'll be seeing myself out. I have things to attend to here. I won't be able to see you two again before you leave. So I wish you both the best of luck on your journey. I hope in the future we meet again," Morton said smiling at both of them.

"Thank you for everything you've done for us Morton. It means so much," Cooper said walking over and giving the conkeldurr a hug.

"Get in here you big grump," Morton said teasingly to Ethan.

"I'm not one for hugs," Ethan responded.

"Don't make me come over there," he threatened playfully. Cooper hear the krookodile walk over to them and give Morton a small hug. "Not so bad eh?"

"Never going to happen again," Ethan said walking towards Mabel.

Cooper let go of the conkeldurr and stepped back. "Well. I'll see you later than Morton."

"You too my friend. Good luck," he said before walking out of the building and closing the door behind him.

Cooper turned around and looked at the house he was in. He knew he wouldn't be there long. But it was pretty and very calming. He walked towards the stairs and climbed them until he made it to the top where there were two corridors. He turned to his left and walked two doors down as Mabel instructed until he came upon a room labeled 'Brian and Seline'. He wondered who had previously owned the room and why he was allowed to go in it. But he decided to figure that out later and opened the door.

When he walked in. The room was not at all what he had expected it to be. It looked like something out of Conter Valley. It even smelled like Conter Valley. The walls were made in the same wood pattern as most houses in Conter valley were and the wooden floor had a small carpet in the middle. There was paintings of the Conter Mountains on the walls and pictures of a gorgeous looking vaporeon on the dressers and table. The bed in the corner was a king sized bed that had typical blankets and sheets from Conter Valley. And sitting on the bed was the sylveon he had seen not to long ago looking at him.

"Hello Cooper. We have some things to talk about."

* * *

 **Again. It was kind of a short chapter. Sorry about that.**

 **Remember. Chapter one of my new story** _"Angels and Demons"_ **comes out Wednesday. And I'll warn you one last time. The first chapter might not be terrible in terms of how dark it is. But it will get very dark in it's future. And it won't shy away from certain themes within it. I will speak of these themes in the authors note before chapter one. I caution anybody who does not like these certain themes I will speak of to just walk away.**

 **Anyways. Criticism and reviews are as always appreciated. See you next time my friends.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	24. Tradition

**So I took a long break for a couple of reasons. One of the main reasons was I had just lost the passion to write for a while. I wasn't able to write a good chapter. So I decided to take a break from fanfiction. I should've informed you guys somehow. And I'm sorry I didn't. Another reason is it's getting close to Exam week. So I have to get prepared for that and a lot of other things. So those are my reasons. I'm not going to give you anymore absolutes on when chapters may come out. It could be rough it could be consistent. It's just random with me sometimes. So forgive me for that.**

 **On other news. If you haven't seen already. Chapter 1 for Angels and Demons has been posted. There are warnings ahead of time in there. So if you want to check it out. Be my guest. If you don't. That's alright.**

 **I'll probably be doing turns with the chapters for both. So after this chapter. The next chapter for Angels and Demons comes out. And after that back to this. So keep an eye out for that.**

 **Alright. Enough delay. Here's chapter 23.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

 **Tradition**

* * *

"What is this place?" Cooper asked looking around the Conter Valley themed room. "Did somebody from Conter Valley live here? Or two people?"

"This was a while ago. An umbreon named Brian had been wandering through the forest and got lost. We decided to do nothing. We couldn't interfere with the world yet. It was too dangerous. But one of us. A vaporeon named Seline saved Brian from the forest. She brought him here and had him healed. My people were not happy about it. Seline had brought an outsider into our kingdom. And if he decided to leave, for we were not going to force him to stay, then he would know the path back into our kingdom. I told him he could live in this room as long as he needed and he could decorate as he pleases until he leaves. He stayed for quite a while. He talked with our people and learned their ways, he learned to sing the songs we could, and he even found love for Seline. They lived in this room together for a year and a half until they had their first and only child, Simon," Fenna said smiling.

"First and only child? Does that mean…" Cooper stopped not wanting to say the words.

"No. Neither of them died. At least I hope so for Brian. After they had their child. He told us that he had to attend to something in Conter Valley. He said he would be back in a month or less. But he never came back. Eventually Seline and Simon moved out of this room and back to her house where she now cares for the child. But we never took anything he placed up down in this room. It was a tribute from our people to him and we're hoping one day he'll return to see it," Fenna finished.

"I don't remember an umbreon named Brian in our village. Are you sure he said Conter Valley?" Cooper asked.

"Positive," Fenna responded.

Cooper looked at the paintings on the wall. The drawings of the mountains were flawless. Exact drawings of the mountains themselves. He knew that this Brian had to have lived in the mountains at some point. Just when?

"Do you know his last name?" Cooper asked hoping to identify the mysterious person.

"I don't. He never spoke of it to my people or even me. But he might've told Seline. You would have to ask her," she said.

"Well where is she then?" Cooper asked his hope renewed.

She shook her head and smiled. "Not right now Cooper. First we need to discuss what I wanted to talk to you about," she said looking out the window.

"Okay. What did you want to talk about?" Cooper asked.

"As I said before. An Ascendance begins with offerings and gifts to the one who is passing. After that comes the song. The family starts first, then friends, and finally the whole forest follows after. Right now. My brother is out on a mission and my two daughters are not here with me. The only family I have here right now is you," she said looking at him.

"Wait. Me?" Cooper asked surprised.

"You are the mate of one of my daughters and a good brother to the other. And you will be the father of my soon to be granddaughter. This makes you family to me. So as is tradition. You will be one of the first to sing along with me," Fenna said.

"What?! But I'm not that good at singing. Heck. I don't even know the song," Cooper said feeling dread come over him.

"You don't need to be good at singing to sing the song. It comes naturally when you begin to sing it. And as for what song we will be singing. That's what I have come here for. We don't have much time since the Ascendance is soon. So we should get started. We have half an hour," Fenna said clearing her throat.

"Why can't we postpone the ascendance? Or do you usually start them this soon after a death?" Cooper asked shocked at the idea of having to remember an entire song in less than an hour.

"No. We usually wait a few days for the family to mourn and then we perform the Ascendance. But Conter has been very persistent about sending you to him as soon as possible," she said.

Cooper had suffered through so much already. He had lost his home, his friends, and maybe even his love. He had been in a coma for four weeks just to wake up and travel all the way to the forest to heal. And now he had to travel back to the mountains hours after waking up in the forest just to train with some person he had never even seen before. He was beginning to think that he would never get a break.

"Can't he wait? I've been through a lot these last few weeks and it would be nice to relax a little," Cooper begged.

"I know. But I can't deny his wishes. He has lived a very long time and has gained a great wealth of knowledge. Enough knowledge for one person to understand the world inside and out. If he needs you immediately. I would trust that it's important," Fenna said looking upset.

"More important than this?" Cooper retaliated.

"Yes. I'll tell you again. He knows more than anyone could imagine. And he knows about our ritual. He knows how much it means to us. And yet he still calls for you immediately forcing us to perform an Ascendance so soon," Fenna said looking at him.

Cooper wanted to continue against why he shouldn't have to be forced to listen to some voice. But Fenna quickly silenced him when she spoke in his head.

 _That's final._

 _You can speak in my head too?_ Cooper asked feeling uncomfortable.

"Mine is weaker than Conter's. I can't stretch my mind out that far and it's more taxing on my body. So while I can, I prefer not to do it most of the time," Fenna said. "But enough of that. We've wasted too much time on little things. Let us discuss the song we will be singing."

Fenna stood up and stretched her body before she walked over to the window. "We will be singing Angel's Lament. The song has many meanings and only someone who has studied the song for hundreds of years can truly understand it's true potential," Fenna said.

"Wait. Hundreds of years?! How old is that supposed to make you?" Cooper asked fearing the answer.

Fenna smiled and said, "You know it's rude to ask a woman's age."

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry," Cooper said embarrassed.

"But if you want to know. It's eight-hundred and sixty two years," Fenna said making Cooper's jaw drop. Never in his right mind would he have guessed Fenna would be that old. "Even I in my long life, however, I have never solved the song. But do not worry yourself. You do not need to understand the song fully in order to sing it," Fenna said.

Cooper was confused in more ways than one. He knew not one, but two really old people. One who was eight-hundred and sixty two years and the other who was a whopping three million years old and still going. Cooper decided to push the thought away and ask another, more relevant question.

"Does the song have something to do with Angel Nightfall?" Cooper asked remembering Conter's history lesson. Something he thought he never would have been able to remember.

Fenna nodded her head and said, "Angel lived a long and prosperous life. But eventually her time came. And in her memory, the people sang her name through the world giving birth to the first Aurora. Nature thrived everywhere, Earth from beneath the sea rose above the water, and what was thousands of pokemon became millions. Following the years after her death. The song was sung for the death of the long lived so that their souls could ascend to the afterlife where Angel Nightfall would be waiting for them. But in time it became a ritual. The only time Angel's Lament was to be sung was during an Ascendance for more reasons than the obvious."

"It was too powerful. Nature thrived too much and there needed to be a balance," he figured again remembering what Conter had told him about the Scourge having to keep a limit on their Titans.

"Yes. We thought by forbidding the songs use for anything besides the death of the long lived, we could bring balance back. But that decision was too late. The first Titan arose and the darkness came back. And thus the balance we tried to create peacefully was forced upon us in a different, more cruel way," Fenna said looking down. "When we ran and hid within the Unseen Forest. The people outside began to lose hope and eventually forgot about us and our song. We were and still are a myth."

"Have you found any hints as to what the song's true meaning can be?" Cooper asked.

Fenna laughed before saying, "It should be obvious. We know why the song was created. But even then we don't understand its purpose. That piece remains a mystery. It will probably take me another few hundreds years with everything going on."

Cooper now had another question. Fenna had told him it took hundreds of years to try and figure out the song. But what if someone who had lived three million years and understood the Unseen's rituals had already figured it out?

"Do you think Conter would know the answer? You said he understood your ritual and he has lived for three million years. Maybe he's already figured it out," Cooper asked hopeful.

Fenna sighed. "That's a question I have already asked. But he either doesn't know or he hasn't told us. Conter can be difficult sometimes. Especially with how annoyed he seems most of the time."

"You're telling me?" Cooper said glad the old man's mind couldn't reach him.

She nodded and said, "But even if he is difficult. He must have his reasons. Perhaps you may have some answers when you begin your training with him." She looked out the window and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath before she spoke again. "It is almost time."

"It is? But we haven't even discussed the lyrics to the song," Cooper said worriedly.

Fenna giggled before saying, "I never said we were gonna learn lyrics. I told you I came here to discuss about the song we will be singing. I have taught you the history of Angel's Lament. That is all you need to know before you start to sing. The rest comes naturally. I promise you Cooper. I would not put you up to this if I thought you wouldn't have been able to handle it. So just trust in me and trust in yourself," she said walking towards the door.

He was still unsure about the idea of having to sing a song with nothing to go off of besides history. But he realized he didn't have anything else to say about it. So before she walked out of the room. He asked one final question that he was regretting as he spoke every word, "Fenna. What did Benjamin… mean to you?"

Fenna stopped before the door and stood still for a minute. "Why do you ask that question?"

Cooper gulped before continuing with, "I mean. It just seems like… it's as if-"

"I don't care?" Fenna said turning to look at him.

Cooper found the words he was going to say lost in his head. He closed his mouth and looked down.

"He means the world to me," Fenna said softly. Cooper looked up at the shiny sylveon who had tears in her eyes. "You might think after so long of being apart from each other, we might've lost the love we had. But I never forgot about him. Even after all this. After separating our children from each other and hiding the truth from them. I would never forget. I loved him too much. I know it seems like I'm blank when it comes to his death. And it's true. I am. But not because I don't love him. But because I do love him. He… he always seemed so brave and adventurous. Like nothing in the world scared him. It was so fascinating and inspiring. And he would always tell me to be strong even in hard times. I want to live up to that. Be strong like he wanted me to be."

"Crying is not a sign of being weak. It shows that we care. When I lost my grandparents. All I could do was cry for weeks," Cooper said seeing his grandparents smiles. "There's nothing wrong with it. You crying shows that you cared for him. That you loved him. Don't be ashamed of it."

Fenna looked at him with confusion. "That's… very wise."

Cooper blushed and said, "Something I picked up from Conter."

Fenna smiled at that and said, "Maybe." She paused for a brief moment before she said, "Thank you Cooper. It appears I still have some things to learn."

"Anytime."

She nodded and walked out of the room. Before she closed the door she said, "The Ascendance is in ten minutes. Be ready. As soon as soon as it ends. You will be preparing for your long journey back to the mountains."

* * *

 **Took too long to get another one of these out. But finally it is. I'm sorry again. I'll try to be more consistent. But I can't and won't make any promises. I like writing with passion. Without that. There's no feeling to it. So I hope you guys can forgive me. Hopefully another chapter for Angels and Demons comes out next Sunday. Just keep an eye out and don't expect too much.**

 **Criticism and reviews are always appreciated. I'll see you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	25. Angel's Lament

**I really got nothing to say here. Honestly. I mean. I enjoyed writing the chapter and it took longer than I thought. But overall it was fine.**

 **Um. Hmm. I've been playing some Overwatch for the past week. Having a lot of fun. _I think_. **

**But yeah. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24**

 **Angel's Lament**

* * *

Cooper had been to a few village gatherings in his past. Most were about upcoming storms or harvests. Nothing too big.

But this was different. Cooper had never seen so many people gathered in one place. It was definitely more than Conter Valley had many times over. He wasn't even sure how that many people could fit into the forest. But he guessed that was just another thing to add to the list of mysterious things the Unseen had to offer.

As he walked through the crowd, he instantly noticed the mood. People were wailing and holding onto each other for support. Even the tough looking adults couldn't seem to control themselves. It came to his attention that Benjamin must've been rather popular with the Unseen.

He continued to cut through the crowd until he saw a gorgeous vaporeon who he instantly knew. She didn't notice him yet and he wondered if it would've been a good time to ask questions. He didn't know if he'd have anytime after the Ascendance to ask her. He walked over to her hesitantly until she finally noticed and stared at him.

He stopped a couple of feet from her and said, "H-hi. My name's Cooper."

"I know who you are," she said quietly reminding him of his first encounter with Elise. "I don't know if it's a good time to talk."

"Yeah. But… I think we need to. I don't know if I'll get the chance before I leave," he said. Cooper notice a little eevee peeking out from behind Seline. He was looking at Cooper curiously. Cooper smiled at the child and said, "You must be Simon."

He reached a paw down towards the eevee to pat him on the head, but Seline quickly shoved Simon behind her and asked with a frown, "He is. What is it that you want to know?"

Cooper was surprised at her sudden change in attitude towards him. He understood that any good mother would be protective of their child from a stranger. But he wasn't really much of a stranger. Or at least he didn't think he was.

"Well. I'd rather not pester you with too many questions seeing as we have little time to talk. So I'll go with more important ones. The first one being his surname. When I saw the pictures of him in the room he stayed in-"

"You went to _his_ room?" she asked tensing and looking angry. Clearly she hadn't been told that Cooper was staying in the room which made him understand that she may not know as much about him as he thought.

He raised a paw in defense and quickly defused the situation with, "Blame Fenna for that one. I was just told to go to rest there," which seemed to ease her a little. But she still kept a frown on her face. "And the pictures of him never reminded me of any umbreon in Conter Valley with the name Brian. And trust me. The villagers in Conter Valley know each other very well."

"How old are you Cooper?" she asked suddenly.

"Nineteen going twenty in a month or two I think," Cooper said realizing that the time of being encased in darkness and the venture he made to get to the forest had thrown off his sense of time.

She frowned again and said, "He was seventeen when I found him and nineteen before he left three years ago. Which… probably means he's twenty-two now."

"Twenty-two years old?" Cooper repeated surprised that the age difference between him and Brian wasn't that vast. Which meant that if the mysterious umbreon had truly left for Conter Valley. Than Cooper would've noticed. Which also brought about new questions and fears.

Seline nodded. "He said he had something to attend in Conter Valley. He wasn't specific on what though. All he told me was it was important. Nothing else," she said with a touch of sadness in her eyes. Cooper looked at the vaporeon who had a child to take care of all by herself because her husband wasn't there. Similar in some ways to what Elise was facing. She knew where he was going and why. But she didn't know if she'd ever see him again. And honestly. He didn't know how long he would be gone.

He thought about asking for advice on _How to keep the love of your life without abandoning her for a three-million year old voice_. But realized that it wasn't a relevant question as much as he wanted it to be. So he pushed the thought into the back of his line of important questions and came back to the main one he still hadn't gotten an answer for. "Maybe his surname can help me find out more about him if you'd be willing to tell me."

She looked at him carefully as if she were studying Cooper. She turned her head and said, "Brian only told me his mother's surname. He said using his father's surname was like using a curse. I often asked him what that meant. But all he would say was that he and his father weren't really the best of buddies. But he loved his mother and always used her surname as his own which is... Diablo."

"Diablo?" Cooper asked finding the name entertaining to say. Brian definitely wasn't someone he knew because Conter Valley had never had anyone with a family name of Diablo.

She turned and looked around at the crowd that surrounded them as if she was worried. She turned back to Cooper and said, "Do not use the name lightly around here Cooper. Now that you know it, I expect you to be rather quiet about using it."

He gave her a confusing look. Now that he thought about it, the name did sound familiar. But not the "from Conter Valley" kind of familiar. Maybe she didn't want him to use it for the reason of keeping Brian's surname a secret. Fenna did say that he never told anyone within the forest. Even her.

Even with the theories in his mind, he asked, "Why?"

"You don't know?" she asked looking surprised.

"Am I supposed to?" he asked back.

"The Watchers. As in Halen Diablo, Chief of the Watchers," she said.

Then it hit him. He found himself remembering his history lessons of the Watchers who lived a great distance north of the capital. They earned their name from knowing so much about the kingdom and the Scourge. They were assassins and essentially predictionist in a manner of speaking. His teacher said the Watchers had eyes and ears everywhere. Some even thought the Watchers had positions with royalty and nobility. They were originally part of the twelfth Divine King's secret soldiers until the thirteenth Divine King took over and forced the secret soldiers to become assassins which birthed the Watchers. After the thirteenth Divine King fell, the secret soldiers formed a group with their families and travelled north where they built the large city of Evastrel that was difficult to reach even for flying types. They demanded isolation from the king and in return they would not interfere with the kingdom's affairs. But everyone knew the Watchers were everywhere even if they had sworn isolation.

"Are you saying that he's related to Halen in someway?" he asked knowing anyone who was related to the Chief of the Watchers was specially trained.

"That's what I'm afraid of. I don't know why someone who's related to Halen Diablo would be so far down south. But what's more interesting is what would he want with Conter Valley and its people," she said looking at him with concern. That did raise a lot of red flags. Halen Diablo was known to never concern himself directly with anything outside of his city and his people especially if it had to do Conter Valley. The villagers who had fled the thirteenth Divine King to Conter Valley three hundred years ago were hunted by the Watchers. Most of them got away. But the Watchers had caught some of the refugees and had taken them back to the capital. No one knew what happened to the refugees who had been caught. But the thirteenth Divine King ended up punishing the Watchers severely due to their failure to capture all the refugees. And thus the people of Conter Valley had always had a deep hatred for the Watchers as did the Watchers for the people of Conter Valley. So the thought of someone related to Halen Diablo wanting something to do with Conter Valley scared Cooper.

Cooper scowled and said, "Maybe that's why I don't have any memory of an umbreon named Brian coming to the valley. He very well could've hidden somewhere inside the mountains." But that didn't explain his story to his wife promising that he'd be back in a month or less which now raised even more questions on what could've happened to him.

"Maybe. Well. If you end up learning anything about him. I hope you wouldn't mind telling me," she said quietly. Cooper notice that the little eevee was peeking his head out again.

"Um. One more question. You wouldn't perhaps have any advice on-"

"There you are Cooper," a familiar voice said behind him. He turned around and found Fenna walking through the crowd towards him. "I've been searching everywhere for you. The Ascendance is in five minutes."

Cooper looked around and realized that he had lost track of time talking to Seline. "Oh. Sorry. I almost forgot. I was just asking Seline a few questions seeing as I probably won't have time after the Ascendance."

Fenna didn't look convinced and she said, "Well you've had your chance. Now we have to go." She turned to Seline who was looking away. "I hope he didn't bother you too much."

Cooper felt offended by Fenna's words. But Seline responded quietly before Cooper got to say anything, "He didn't. Just a few simple questions about Brian. You two should hurry and go."

"I agree. I'll talk with you later Seline," Fenna said turning around. Cooper gave one last smile at the vaporeon as he turned to follow Fenna. But she kept looking away as if something was bothering her. He wondered what she was thinking at that moment. He pushed away his worries and followed Fenna through the crowd.

They eventually escaped the crowd to a platform that was attached to large root. On the platform were a bunch of different people who were crying and weeping more than the crowd which he guessed were friends of Benjamin. In the middle of the platform was a strange looking stone that had been carved to look like a pyramid. On the face of the stone facing the crowd was a picture of a young looking Benjamin. He had a great smile on that captured his courage and strength Fenna was talking about. His body was much more built and had sharper features in contrast to what Cooper remembered of the leafeon. To his surprise, the pyramid was surrounded by flowers. But that was just it. It was only surrounded by flowers. And only one type of flower.

"Golden Flowers," Cooper said remembering the Golden Fields which also brought about the sore reminder of Elise.

Fenna walked closely to the pyramid although she wasn't able to get anywhere near the stone because of the sheer abundance of flowers that surrounded the stone. The crowd got quiet and the forest fell into silence as Fenna sat down in front of the stone. "Out of all the flowers he knew. These were his favorite. Everyone here knows that. And before I left to return to the forest, he asked me of one request. A very simple, but challenging request. Golden Flowers. He asked for nothing but Golden Flowers if he were to somehow pass. He said it would take him closer to the sun. It would help him embrace the light. Help him ascend."

"I have lived over eight hundred years with family and friends to help guide my path. To help me make the right choices. But when Benjamin came to us. He taught me so much more. He taught me bravery. He taught me how to be strong and how to trust in those around me and to trust in myself. He was a teacher as much as he was a lover. I owe to him so much that I cannot repay to him in person anymore."

"So instead. I will give him one final gift that will grant him his f-final moment in this world," Fenna said stuttering. Cooper could see tears following from her face. "M-my final gift to him as an ally, as a friend, as a student, and… as a mate."

Fenna opened her mouth slowly and took a deep breath. Cooper noticed the trees of the forest seemed to shake and rise as if they were awakening from a deep slumber and then fall slowly and gracefully as Fenna breathed out. And then the song began.

Cooper couldn't recognize the words and what language they were from. But he somehow understood them perfectly. The tone of Fenna's voice was soft and gentle but loud and fierce. The branches of the trees twisted and any flowers that had yet to grow fully were blooming to perfection in all different colors. The grass on the ground swelled and entwined with each other. And the sky filled with the blankets of the Aurora. The patterns danced across the sky in unison to the grass and the trees.

Then as Fenna's voice lowered, Cooper felt a wave of something he couldn't describe. Words flooded his mind and the song he did not know about previously came to him in almost a perfect understanding. As Fenna's voice picked up again, he sang along with her which made the dance of the forest burst ever so brighter and greater. He felt the words leave his mind and out through his mouth perfectly with no hesitation. He heard the voices of the people on the platform begin to follow along and then soon after the crowd picked up right behind them.

Fenna was the conductor, the forest her choir, and the world her audience. All who had eyes witnessed her song cover the sky with an ocean of colors. All who had ears were enchanted by the choir of her song. All who could feel embraced the passion and spirit of her voice.

The world was with her for that moment in helping Benjamin ascend to the light. To the heaven where Angel Nightfall was waiting for him.

 _So this is Angel's Lament._

* * *

 **I really enjoyed writing the bit at the end. It was nice. I also think writing Angels and Demons has given me a different perspective and better understanding of writing.**

 **Although both stories are written differently in different worlds. They both play the same role in helping me become a better writer.**

 **Anyways. Criticism and reviews are appreciated as always. See you in Angels and Demons.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	26. Tales of the past

**I'm done with apologizing. Every time this happens, I apologize and I'm tired of it and I know you guys are too. So no more apologies.**

 **I'm back with a long chapter this time.**

 **So I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25**

 **Tales of the past**

* * *

 _It would seem that you're a heavy sleeper Mr. Drachen._ Zulev said waking Arthur from his sleep. As he did however, he heard more voices calling his name. He slowly opened his eyes to find Vincent and Mono staring at him.

"Look who's decided to finally wake up," Mono said turning around to walk away. Arthur looked at Vincent hoping for an answer.

The lucario smiled and said, "Told you he was a heavy sleeper. It was a pain in the ass to wake him up on our travels. Glad we were able to wake him up now though considering the circumstances."

It wasn't actually Vincent or Mono that had managed to wake him up. But he didn't feel like it would be a good idea to tell them that Zulev had woken him. "Yeah, well that only makes you guys," Arthur said, feeling the soreness kick in on his back. His leg seemed to have healed nicely as well, but it was still in no condition to run.

"Your back or your leg?" Nila asked checking Arthur.

"Both. Though it's mostly the back," Arthur answered feeling the cinccino rub his back gently with some kind of gooey substance. Whatever it was, it made his back sting even more. He winced at the pain and tried his best to contain the growls.

 _I guess that means I won't be able to meet the famous Prince Arthur today._ Zulev growled unhappily in Arthur's mind.

 _Oh no. Poor you. Whatever shall you do now?_ Arthur said back.

 _Hmm. It seems you have a morning mood as well._ Zulev mumbled.

"Arthur?" Vincent asked looking at him with a questioning eye.

"It's nothing," Arthur said hoping to escape the eyes of the people around him. Though it didn't do him much good. They all knew Zulev was talking to him which made them more suspicious and his situation worse. But it wasn't like he had any control over a Titan who could speak to him whenever he wanted.

 _Nothing you say?_ Zulev asked.

"Shut up!" Arthur said realizing he had spoken out loud.

Vincent sighed and said, "Try to ignore him Arthur. I know it might be hard. But we need to stay focused on the mission at paw here. If I were him, I'd be trying to find a way to make some sort of bond with you in which it'll be harder for you to kill him."

"As if the _mission_ couldn't get any worse," Mono retorted.

 _She doesn't seem to be very happy._ Zulev said.

 _Do you have to add a comment for every little thing?_ Arthur asked annoyed.

 _I've been lonely for a while Prince Arthur. Forgive me for desiring a little conversation._ Zulev answered.

 _If you want a conversation. Maybe ask a question instead._ Arthur recommended.

 _But what question to ask?_ Zulev asked mumbling to himself.

For a Titan, Zulev was obnoxious. It was probably because of his isolation from regular people and the world beyond the mountains. But now that made Arthur question how long Zulev had been isolated from the world. It must've taken years for the beast to grow that big.

 _You wonder my age?_ Zulev asked reading Arthur's thoughts.

 _First. Stop reading my mind. Second… How old are you?_ Arthur asked.

"Prince Arthur? Did you hear me?" Nila asked.

Arthur shook away the voice in his head. "Sorry. I didn't catch what you said."

Nila frowned and repeated, "Your back seems to be infected to a point that I'm afraid it's going to need more medical treatment before we can continue forward."

 _How devastating._ Zulev said.

Arthur ignored him and said, "Sounds great. All we need to do is go back to the City of Aaron and ask them for a doctor. Oh wait. That's right, I'm being hunted by them. Okay. How far is the next city? Hmm, let's think."

Nila's ears drooped and she looked towards the ground. Arthur felt a slight guilt in him and he turned away quickly. But he turned in the wrong direction because Vivian was giving him the glare now.

Vincent cleared his throat and broke the silence with, "Yes. You've made your point clear, Prince Arthur. But this mustn't be ignored. We'll have to find another way to help your back before we can even think about Zulev."

 _I may have a solution._ Zulev whispered.

 _And what would that be? Are you going to tell me to run on home and give up?_ Arthur said mockingly.

Arthur heard the giant cackle in his mind making him uncomfortable. _Quite the contrary. I could teach you a way to ignore the pain._

To Arthur it sounded impossible and even if it was, why would the great Titan Zulev teach him a skill like that? _Sure you can. Why don't you tell me what that method of yours is?_

"That's enough!" Mono yelled, making Arthur jump. He looked over at the shiny honchkrow who did not look happy. "Stop talking to him or else."

"And why do you think I'm talking to him?" Arthur countered.

"Don't lie to me. I can see it in your expression. It changes here and there as if your going to say something. But the only words your saying are words to him," Mono said pointing to her head.

"You know, you're a real asswhole. I don't need you questioning everything I do and I don't need you talking to me like you're all high and mighty. I don't give a shit who gave you a mission to protect me and I don't care what you have to say to me. You come from a secret organization under some secret Queen Nightfall. I wonder why it's all so secret. Maybe she's just too much of a coward to come out herself!" Arthur barked at Mono. Suddenly, all eyes had fallen upon him. But the Valkyries seemed to be giving him the most thorough of glares.

Mono looked ready to explode, but Arthur wasn't going to let her to. "I know why I left the kingdom. I know why I became a wanted man. I know why I gave up my life as a prince to go kill a Titan!" Arthur shouted standing up. "Now I'll tell you this once and only once. I plan on making my way to those mountains where I am going to rip the heart out of that god damned Titan and drag it all the way back to the City of Aaron myself if I have to! So either you can either shut up and follow me to the mountains or you can run on home to your precious Queen and stay out of my way!" Arthur finished. Silence followed his statement as he sat back down from the pain in his leg.

 _Bravo. That was some speech you gave them._ Zulev said. _My favorite part was when you said you're going to rip my heart out and drag it back to the City of Aaron yourself. Gave me a real laugh there._

 _If you continue to be an ass, I might just follow through with my threat._ Arthur warned.

 _We'll see._ Zulev said.

Vincent was the first to speak, "Well. I think it's about time for breakfast. Hmm. Brandon. How about you, Alex, and Kylie go collect some more berries while Vivian and Min can go fill up the canteens with water."

"Uh. Yeah. Sure thing Vince," Brandon said quietly before standing up along with Alex, Kylie, Vivian, and Min.

"Maybe think about taking big bad feathers here with you," Arthur said staring at Mono who was returning the favor.

"No. I think it's best if we keep the group short," Vincent said sitting down.

"I know what you're trying to do Vincent and just so you know I am completely against it," Arthur growled as the others walked away.

"For once, I agree with the prince," Mono said.

"Good for you two. Now I'd appreciate it if you were both quiet for a few minutes. I need a moment to think," Vincent sighed.

Arthur grunted and laid his head down. A terrible and awkward silence had befallen the camp. Nila was checking on Arthur's back, Vincent was looking up at the sky with his eyes closed, Mono was staring at the mountains with anger in her eyes, and Hannah was sitting quietly. If Vincent was going to say anything, he was taking a rather long time with it. So Arthur decided to ask Zulev the questions he hadn't gotten answers for.

 _You still have some questions to answer Zulev._ Arthur said.

 _But of course. Which answer do you want first?_ Zulev asked.

 _How about your age? I don't think you could've grown that tall in a short amount of time._ Arthur asked.

 _Somewhere over two million one hundred thousand years. I don't really keep track._ Zulev said.

Arthur's jaw nearly fell. But he clenched it shut before anyone could notice. He had suspected Zulev to be old to grow that large. But that was way older than he had assumed. And with that answer, he now questioned how long the Age of Death lasted for.

 _Hmm. That's also a good question._ Zulev said, reading Arthur's thoughts.

 _I thought I told you to stop reading my mind._ Arthur said, trying to create a growl in his thoughts.

 _Good attempt. Needs more work though._ Zulev said. _And so you know, it's difficult to push your thoughts away. It's easier to slightly push the thoughts of ordinary people away. But those with Z-Power tend to be more difficult. Their minds are more… vivid, prominent. Hmm. It's sort of like if you took the thoughts of an ordinary person and a person with Z-Power and put them both in a forest, you'll find that the thoughts of the person with Z-Power are more noticeable._

 _Wait…. What?_ Arthur asked confused.

Zulev growled and said. _A physic types ability to read minds runs through the veins of all pokemon, but that essence can only be found in the corner of the mind for an ordinary pokemon. Similar to how water runs through our veins, except quite literally it runs through our veins as blood. A physic type already has control of that special part of their mind when their born whereas an ordinary pokemon will never find that part of their mind unless they were given proper training. Even then, it's nearly impossible for any other type of pokemon to access that part of their mind. But for a pokemon with Z-Power, their mind is stronger just like their abilities are. And thus, this brings us to the point that the thoughts of any pokemon with Z-Power are more prominent than any ordinary pokemon._

 _Well… what about you then? You said it's difficult to push my thoughts away. But you never even told me how you're able to hear my thoughts anyways. You're a tyrantrum which means you're not a physic type. And unless you have Z-Power, then I don't understand how you have access to that part of your mind and why you're so good at it._ Arthur said.

 _Right. First. I don't have Z-Power. Second. It's as simple as saying that the older you get, the wiser you get. For a Titan, it works in a similar way. The older I get, the bigger I get, and thus, the bigger my brain gets which means my mind expands. And overtime, I was eventually able to discover this part of my mind and when I mastered it. I was able to feel so much more mentally than I could physically. But the disadvantage of having mastered this part of my mind is I can't turn it off. For a physic type, they can turn it off whenever they want. But for any other pokemon who's not physic and masters it like yours truly, they have no way of shutting it off. And so I'm stuck with being forced to listen to any and all thoughts within a certain distance from me with only being able to slightly push them away. Trust me, it's much worse than it sounds._ Zulev finished.

Arthur took a minute to process everything he had just heard from Zulev. As much as it sounded confusing, it all made sense… sort of. He didn't know what it was like to be someone who could hear the thoughts of everyone around them with no way of stopping it. And quite frankly, he wasn't looking to find out.

 _Alright. Well that's a lot of information you just gave me. So let's move on to the other question. You said you had a solution to ignore the pain which sounds impossible. But then again, here I am speaking to a Titan telepathically who's quite some distance from me. So I guess anything's possible._ Arthur said.

 _Not everything._ Zulev corrected. _What I'm going to teach you is possible though. Well. Only for someone like you. An ordinary pokemon wouldn't be able to achieve this without using an ability that can neglect pain. But you don't need to use an ability. What you need is a memory, and a strong one at that._

 _Why a memory?_ Arthur asked.

 _A memory holds power in a manner of speaking. And the stronger the memory, the more power it holds. For a pokemon with Z-Power, they can use a memory as fuel for their body instead of their own energy. It's like having reserve energy that is not affected by the harm done to your body, but instead it is affected by the state of your mind. But don't mistake this reserve energy for another body. Your heart still needs to be beating if you wish to live. So even when you can ignore the pain in your body, it does not mean that anything that happens to it will also be ignored. You can still be dying and you might not even know it until you collapse suddenly and die._ Zulev warned.

 _So I still have to be careful of how much damage is done to my body when using my reserve energy?_ Arthur asked for confirmation.

 _Precisely._ Zulev said.

 _Alright. So how do I use this power?_ Arthur asked.

 _After you find a strong memory, you must try to imagine that memory as a source of energy. You have to grab onto it tightly and let it flow through your body. Let your mind be the conduit for which the power flows through. Let it sink into your bones and into your heart. Let it take its place and then control it with your mind. You'll find that not only is the pain in your body numb, but that your reflexes will be sharper and your perception of the world will be stronger._ Zulev stated.

 _That sounds incredible._ Arthur said in disbelief.

 _It is. But you won't truly understand how it feels until you feel it yourself. Go on. Find a memory and use its energy. A good memory would be something like-_

"Alright. Let's talk," Vincent said loudly earning both Arthur's and Mono's attention. He sat against the tree and relaxed his body. As he sat there, Arthur could see the age in Vincent. Most of the time he looked younger. But as Arthur studied the details in the lucario. He could immediately notice the age.

"What's there to talk about?" Mono asked. "It's obvious neither of us will ever get along with each other and thank god for that. The last person I'd want to be friends with is a rotten prince."

"Your kind words are greatly appreciated," Arthur shot back.

"Maybe the reason neither of you can get along is because both of you feel the need to retaliate back at each other to try and come out on top," Vincent stated.

"She's the one who's been giving me attitude since we met," Arthur said pointing a toe at Mono.

"And you're only making it worse by talking back," Vincent said before Mono could say anything. "If you hadn't said anything, this could've been resolved much easier. So now that I have the attention of both of you, we should discuss our differences in a calm manner."

Mono grunted, but didn't say anything as she perched herself down as if she was about to take a long nap. Arthur prepared himself for a long lecture from the old man of the group who claimed to be wise. Hannah appeared from Arthur's right and sat down quietly while Nila continued to apply special ointments to Arthur's back.

"So let's start off with Mono," Vincent said looking at the honchkrow who didn't appear to be happy with being first. "Why don't you tell Arthur a little bit about yourself."

"And why do I have to explain myself to him? I'm only here to make sure he doesn't die and that's it. I have nothing to say," Mono said firmly which earned a frown from Vincent.

"Maybe I can start first?" Nila said sitting up.

"Hmm. That wouldn't be such a bad idea. Sure, why not?" Vincent said smiling.

Nila took a deep breath and said, "I come from a small village southeast of the capital. I lived with my mother who worked every day for… eighteen hours just to support us…." Nila's attitude changed quickly as she looked down at the grass. "We had a small house and limited food. We never traveled and barely got news from the capital seeing as how we couldn't even afford that. But even through the struggles and the hard times, we stayed positive. Even if our village was poor we stuck together and pushed on," she said smiling.

Arthur's attention had fallen completely on Nila now. He didn't know of a village southeast of the capital that was poor or struggling which was surprising considering the extent of his classes on the map of the entire kingdom. It also made him wonder how many other villages or small towns were left off the map.

Nila's smile quickly faded away as she said, "And then… my mother passed from a sickness we couldn't cure because we didn't have the money to afford it. I was left alone at the age of thirteen with no one else besides the neighbors to take care of me. But one day, a shiny white umbreon with golden stripes walked into the village. We didn't know who he was or what he wanted. But he said that he was looking for those who were lost." Nila shuffled in place and looked up at Mono. "Looking for those didn't have purpose."

Arthur looked at Mono who was staring up at the sky. Her anger from earlier had disappeared leaving a sad and teary looking honchkrow. Arthur was finally seeing another side of Mono, and he wasn't sure if that was worse.

"I never knew my mother," Mono said. "She passed away soon after I was born and left me with my father. She left me with… him," Mono said as tears started to drip down her face. "He didn't love me. He didn't care for me. He only kept me so I could do chores around the house and handle everything while he sat back and did nothing. And if I ever refused… he would beat me. Hurt me. I suffered for years not knowing what it meant to be happy. And then I finally grew up and left. I flew as far away from his house as I could and embraced the world. And yet… I was still alone. I was still lost without purpose. Without a cause. That was, until a shiny umbreon approached me and gave me a purpose. He brought me to a world that took me in with open arms. I found somewhere I belonged. Somewhere where I could make a difference in the world. A home."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Arthur with anger in her eyes again. "And then Lady Nightfall assigned me a mission. A mission to protect a _prince_. I didn't know who you were when she assigned me the mission. But as I was informed on how you acted around others, there was only one thought going through my mind. The kingdom was going to have to suffer the same treatment I endured. They would have to bow to a heartless king who didn't care for his people or even his family."

"Mono," Vincent said trying to stop her.

"Because that's who you are Arthur Drachen. A heartless person who cares about nothing but himself. You feel no love and you never will because you are a selfish monster," Mono said practically yelling that last sentence. Arthur let the words sink into his heart. Even though he didn't like to admit it, from a certain point of view they had truth behind them.

"Mono that's enough!" Vincent said standing up. But Mono just turned away.

"You're right," Arthur said getting the attention of everyone around him including Mono. "I am selfish. I didn't go on this suicide mission to save my kingdom. I like to tell myself that it's all for my people. But it's not for them. It's for Ana."

"Ana?" Mono repeated.

Arthur chuckled and said, "She's a girl from Conter Valley. I met her in her aunt's shop within the inner walls. I found her annoying at first and I tried to push her away. But… she didn't let up and I came back the next day a mess. I was lost and confused and I ran to her for help. She brought out a different side of me. A side I didn't even know I had. Her family allowed me to stay and eat with them. It was… the first time someone had me for lunch outside of the castle. And then the plague got to her and her aunt as it did for over two million people in the city and more elsewhere in the kingdom. We had a meeting in the castle and found that the only way to cure them would be with the true blood of Zulev. But only part of me is after him to save the people. Most of me is after him to save Ana. To save the one person who saw something else in me. So you're right about me being selfish. But you're wrong about me being heartless," Arthur said looking at Mono. "I want to save Ana because I love her."

A different type of silence had befallen the camp. No one said a word as time carried on and Arthur eventually laid his head back down to rest his body.

"Forgive me Prince Arthur," Mono said suddenly. Arthur looked up at the honchkrow who was looking at him. "I… jumped to conclusions without truly understanding who you are on the inside. I have no excuse for my actions and I apologize."

"No. Your actions were reasonable. You feared what I would do if I became king because you knew I was not worthy of the position. You were angry and you had every reason to be. I should be the one apologizing," Arthur said smiling.

Mono stared at him for a minute before smiling herself. "Well. I think I've made my decision. I'll continue to follow you to the mountains. But don't expect me to stop giving you hell. I still think you're awfully stupid for challenging a Titan," Mono said laughing.

Arthur laughed along with her and said, "You're not the only one."

 _That'll work._ Zulev said out of nowhere making Arthur jump.

"Prince Arthur?" Vincent asked looking at him.

"Yeah. Just give me a second," Arthur said.

 _What'll work?_ Arthur asked.

 _That memory of Ana._

 _For the pain ignoring power?_

 _What else. Go on. Give it a shot._ Zulev encouraged.

 _Right now?_ Arthur asked feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes watching him.

"Why is he bothering you?" Nila asked Arthur while staring at him worriedly.

"He's trying to help me with something. Just give me a minute or so," Arthur said avoiding Vincent's gaze.

 _Did I stutter?_ Zulev asked annoyed.

 _I get it. Give me a second._ Arthur said closing his eyes.

Arthur began to envision the pink leafeon in his mind. The sight of her brought him to a happy state of mind. Arthur had never found someone more peculiar than Ana. She was the cure to his poison as he liked to imagine it. No one else could calm him down as much as she could. Arthur cleared his head and held onto the memory letting the sight of Ana fill his body with joy and happiness. As he let the newfound energy flow through his body, the feeling in his back and leg slowly numbed relieving him of the pain. He stood up slowly, testing himself before standing up on all four of his legs. But he noticed that any pain or infection that had impaired him was no more. He felt like he could run a mile, and good thing too considering the distance he had to cover that would've been hard and painful if he wasn't numbed.

"That's… not possible," Nila said staring at Arthur as he shook his body and stretched. "I expected you to at least stand. But your body shouldn't even be ready to stand up fully yet."

"That's because he's not doing it by himself," Vincent said staring at Arthur with what looked like disappointment.

"Is he getting help from Zulev?" Mono asked looking concerned.

"Sort of," Arthur answered. "He taught me a technique that only people with Z-Power can use. All I have to do is grab onto a strong memory and use it as a source of energy to control my body which numbs the pain in my leg and back."

"Are you kidding?" Nila said wide eyed.

"No. He isn't," Vincent said approaching Arthur. "Listen Prince Arthur. It's true that you cannot feel the pain anymore which makes our journey easier. But just because you can't feel the pain doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"Yeah. I know that part," Arthur said trying to avoid one of Vincent's lectures.

"But do you know the consequences of overusing this new power of yours?" Vincent asked looking at Arthur intently.

"Um. No," Arthur said.

Vincent sighed and said, "I thought so. Using the ability too much for too long can cause your body to see it as natural which means you won't ever be able to shut it off. Do you know what that means?"

Arthur gulped. "Kind of…" he said getting quieter.

"You won't feel _anything_. Food and water will taste bland. Any hot or cold air will feel the same. You'll be eternally numb. I hope for your sake that you do not overuse this power of yours," Vincent said firmly.

"I won't," Arthur said shaking his head while taking into account the risks that Vincent was describing to him.

Vincent nodded as he stepped back. He smiled and said, "Well I think we've all had a rather pleasant session today. The others are almost here. So I suggest we get prepared to have breakfast. I'm starving."

Arthur watched the old lucario walk away and sit down. He was still a little shook up about being numb forever. A secret ability that came with a curse if overused as well as his mind and powers being stronger. Z-Power had many different perks to it and Arthur was sure that there was more to be found.

But he pushed the thought away from his mind as the others approached from the forest. He still knew what he wanted and he had told Vincent and Mono what it was. He hadn't lied. He just switched the words around. He wanted to save Ana and he was willing to accept Zulev's offer if that was what it took. He was not worthy of the throne which meant he didn't have to worry about it. He knew his mission. He was going to save Ana no matter the cost.

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter and I promise the next chapter for Angels and Demons won't take as long as this one took to come out.**

 **Criticism and reviews are as always appreciated. I'll see you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	27. Inner Wars

**So I have finally found a working schedule for weekly chapters. It took me a bit to be able to put it together. But chapters for both my stories should be coming out one after the other every week. So you'll get one today for this story and then one next week for Angels and Demons. You already know that. But they should be coming out regularly now.**

 **Sometimes I might be sick or it might be a long chapter or just something comes up. But that typically won't interfere with the release of the chapter. If it does. Expect the chapter to be released a day after or the day after that. But it won't take weeks anymore. So that's the good news.**

 **I'm going to give you one last apologie for those of you who've had to wait weeks for these chapters. I'm grateful that you're still reading these even with the inconsistency these last few months. It keeps me going. Whether it's for this story or my other one. Thank you. It means a lot.**

 **Enjoy chapter 26 because you have now officially read 100,000 thousand words of The Scourge Wars. Again. Thank you to those who've had to deal with the long wait and are still here. It truly means a lot to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26**

 **Inner Wars**

* * *

Arthur sat quietly as the two parties who had left made their way back into the camp. Brandon had two large bags of berries that clung to his side, Kylie had another large bag of berries that hung over her shoulder, and Alex carried a slightly smaller bag of berries on her side. Vivian walked into the camp with the canteens in pouches that hung over her sides like Brandon while Min looked anxious as she walked into camp.

Brandon put the bags of berries down and stretched his legs. "Man, that sucked. Took forever to find trees that had berries," Brandon complained.

"Don't be such a whiner. It wasn't that bad," Vivian said rolling her eyes.

"Says the woman who had to gather water. Real difficult," Brandon countered.

"D'aww. I think you're just jealous that Vivian got to refill the canteens with Min instead of you," Kylie said smirking. Alex seemed to be holding back a smile as well.

"W-what?! T-that's not- it isn't…" Brandon lost the words in his mouth and turned away as his face turned red. Min also seemed to be sharing the same reaction.

"Stop you're teasing," Mono said gathering the party's attention. "I'm hungry and we got a long walk ahead of us."

"I agree," Vincent said standing up. He walked over to Brandon and took the two bags of berries from him. He brought the bags over to the campfire and placed them down inside a pot. "Kylie. Do you mind smashing these up for me? I'm thinking of a berry soup mixed with a couple of special berries that will give us a bit more energy on our trip to the mountains."

"Ooh. Sounds delicious," Kylie said as she sat down next to the berries and started smashing the berries into a liquidy substance.

 _You should consider yourself lucky._ Zulev said. _As much as I dislike Vincent. The food he can make drives me insane. Sometimes I wish I could leave these mountains and devour dozens of berry trees._

That caught Arthur's attention. Why couldn't Zulev who was a massive Titan leave the mountains? And if he never left the mountains, what did he eat? What could satisfy a giant's hunger?

 _Why don't you leave?_ Arthur asked curiously.

 _Plenty of reasons. One of them is the war that is still being waged. His majesty doesn't want me leaving the mountains because he's afraid of losing his only Titan. Though I find it offensive that he believes that I could fall to a bunch of tiny people._ Zulev said sighing.

Arthur didn't feel like it would've been wise to state that a bunch of tiny people could do big things like possibly take down a Titan. So he instead went with. _Why does he only have one? Wouldn't he have more? In the texts of the first Scourge War, you weren't the Titan to ravage the world. There has to be another._

Arthur heard Zulev growl in his mind and for a split second, he was scared that he might've accidentally insulted the beast. But then Zulev said. _The first Titan disappeared. Not a single person knows where he went. Not even I._

Arthur was shocked at how the first Titan, a massive beast who had brought the world into the Age of Death, could just vanish without anyone knowing where he went. _Your king doesn't have control over him?_ Arthur asked.

 _Like almost everything unknown, some variables are not seen at first. Some of which were variables that caused his majesty to lose control over the first Titan. So no. His majesty lost complete control over where the first Titan went._ Zulev confirmed.

Arthur was also surprised that Zulev was just spilling the secrets about the first Titan. Which made him wonder what else he could learn. _What was their name?_

 _Diablo._ Zulev answered.

 _Wait. As in the Diablos' up north?_ Arthur asked remembering Counselour Brandon's teachings in the Watchers of the North. He looked over to the mightyena sitting close to Min. He found it annoying that the two shared the same name and was glad that there would be no chance that they would meet each other.

 _As in the Titan Diablo. Those_ Watchers of the North _stole the name as a way to invoke fear into their enemy. I find it quite amusing actually._ Zulev said chuckling.

 _How do they know about the first Titan's name? Not even I know and I'm the prince._ Arthur asked confused.

 _Listen well, Arthur. Out of all the people in your kingdom. The Watchers are the only ones who slightly threaten me. There are many things they know that no one else does. It's why they're so strict with people entering their city._ Zulev stated.

Arthur wondered what other secrets the Watchers were keeping. He knew they rarely had interactions with the kingdom. So it didn't surprise him that there were secrets. But it did surprise him that Zulev threatened by them. He had plagued an entire kingdom with just his blood which could cause millions to die and he felt threatened by a large city of over eight-hundred thousand people.

A new question quickly came to his mind. Zulev seemed to know quite a bit about the Watchers. But the City of Evastrel was up north beyond the borders of the kingdom. So he couldn't stretch his mind out that far.

 _How do you know so much about the Watchers? If you've never left the mountains, then there's no way for you to be able to read their minds from this distance._ Arthur asked. He waited for a response. But Zulev remained silent. Now Arthur was suspicious.

"Prince Arthur. Are you going to join us?" Vincent asked. Arthur woke from his thoughts and stared at the old lucario staring at him. The others were sitting by the campfire happily eating a soup that looked and smelled tasty. They were talking and laughing as if everything in the world was alright.

Arthur wanted to feel that same kind of relief. But he knew millions were suffering including Ana. He also knew that he wasn't traveling to Zulev to kill him. He was going to crack a deal with the devil in hopes to save Ana and his father. The group in front of him believed they were going to be helping him win a battle against a Titan. But they didn't know the selfish truth behind it all. The reality of their situation.

 _You'll need to find a way to lose them._ Zulev said making Arthur's eye twitch.

Vincent noticed right away and said, "You should join us, Arthur. It'll keep your mind clear for a bit."

"Yeah. Sure," Arthur said getting up and following Vincent to the group. Even if he didn't like to admit it, Zulev was right. He had to lose the group before he reached the massive Titan. Otherwise, he might have to fight the Valkyries instead. A battle he didn't want to even think about having.

 _I'll find a way. Just give me time to figure something out._ Arthur said as he sat down next to Nila's left while Vincent took his left.

"Here you go," Vincent said passing Arthur a bowl of soup. "I mixed in some special berries that'll give you a good amount of energy for the day."

"Thanks," Arthur responded as he dug in immediately. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he was devouring the soup and completely ignoring the manners he was taught. Nila passed him a canteen of water which he drank quickly. His thirst was even worst. He had forgotten that he was asleep for three days, whipped to near death, traveled a couple of miles away from the city, and slept a whole night without noticing that he didn't have any food or water.

"Did your mother ever teach you manners?" Vivian asked while staring at him like he was a wild beast.

Arthur took another big bite before he said, "I would be using them if I hadn't been hungry and thirsty for nearly four days."

"Four days?!" Nila nearly shouted with concern.

Arthur looked at her and the rest of the group concerned. "What? Vincent didn't tell you?"

"Four days?!" Nila repeated looking at Vincent along with Arthur.

"Well," Vincent said while smiling innocently, "I may have forgotten to mention that. My main concern was getting you out as quickly as possible. So, I didn't mention you had been kept in a cell for three days. But I didn't know that you had been deprived of both food and water for three days."

Arthur frowned at Vincent and asked, "Maybe you should have thought about getting me out sooner instead of gathering the Valkyries. You have Z-power. So why didn't you use it to break me out?"

This time Vincent frowned at Arthur. He sighed before saying, "The world thinks we're a myth, Arthur. Our power isn't supposed to exist. So why would I use it in a city that is already dealing with a crisis? People fear the unknown. Using something that gives me intense power to break the Prince of the Divine Kingdom out of a prison would be the equivalent of waging war on the city. And it's already dealing with one."

Arthur wanted to argue with Vincent. And he believed he had just the thing that could win him that argument. "But I used my Z-Power in the inner walls. Plenty of people saw me. They even questioned me about it in the meeting. So how is this a surprise?" Arthur asked.

"Because you weren't being hunted by your people at the time. More often than not a person will be more likely to have stronger thoughts about something that is threatening them than something that is protecting them. Even if the people hated you, you were the only person they could look to save them. What do you think happened to their morale when their only hope disappeared the day after the plague broke out?" Vincent asked.

Arthur had nothing to say to that. The guilt in his heart was becoming overwhelming. Everything Vincent said had truth to it and here Arthur was planning on using a Titan's help to save Ana and his father. Millions were going to die because their prince abandoned them for his selfish reasons.

"Plus. Do you not realize how old I am?" Vincent said grinning. Arthur decided to drop his thoughts about his people. They would all be gone anyways. There was no way anyone could take Zulev down. It was just impossible.

"Hmm. Forty-three?" Arthur guessed. Vincent looked old at times. But Arthur never really thought of him as being older than fifty.

He was wrong as Vincent burst out laughing. "Thanks for the compliment kid. But I'm actually sixty-seven," he said holding back his laughter.

Arthur wasn't the only one who hadn't known as the rest of the group had shocked faces as well. "You can't be," Arthur said.

Vincent laughed again and said, "Ah, but I am. Most don't believe I'm that old. Gives me a good laugh every time."

But Vincent's smile quickly faded away as he sat still. Arthur looked closer to see what had come over him and noticed his eye was twitching slightly. _What are you saying to him?_ Arthur asked Zulev.

 _I'm reminding_ _him._ Zulev responded chuckling. Arthur felt a cold sensation come over him. He didn't know how he could feel it, but Zulev's conscience felt cruel and dark.

Arthur saw Vincent was in pain and he was quick to end it. _Leave him be Zulev or the deal is off!_ Arthur shouted in his mind.

Vincent's eye stopped twitching. His body slumped and he took a few deep breaths. Whatever Zulev had done, it was enough to hurt Vincent badly. Arthur had never seen him like this.

 _The man you are looking at is a lier, Arthur. He speaks of how evil I am. But nothing can come close to the evil I've seen in his mind._ Zulev warned.

Arthur wanted to question both Zulev and Vincent. But he was more concerned about the old lucario who had now stood up.

"I'm going to… start getting prepared for the trip," he said before walking away.

"What's wrong with him?" Alex asked looking at Arthur. The rest of the group also seemed to know that he knew something.

"Zulev said something. I don't know what it was, so don't ask me," he said as Mono looked ready to question him immensely, "But I'm going to go ask him about it now. I suggest getting prepared as well. It's going to be a long trip."

Arthur stood up quickly which earned more shocked faces from everyone except Mono, Nila, and Hannah. He realized that they hadn't been told about his ability to stand without pain. He was in a rush to catch up to Vincent, so he said before walking away, "Something Zulev… helped with. Mono will explain. I'm going to go talk to Vincent." Arthur heard Mono grumble something and he smiled as he followed Vincent.

But he shook it away as he asked Zulev. _What do you mean nothing can come close to the evil you've seen in his mind? What kind of evil?_

 _The kind that cannot compare to a Titan's. The kind that deserves death. I'm sure you'll be informed soon enough, Prince Arthur._ Zulev said chuckling again. Arthur hated the way Zulev laughed at something that Vincent had done that was supposed to be worse than what Zulev could do. It only reminded him once again about his soon-to-be deal with the devil.

Arthur caught up to Vincent and walked behind the old lucario who was walking away from the camp. Arthur followed him for a couple of minutes until he stopped near a large tree. He took a seat and looked up. Arthur also took a seat and decided it was the ideal moment to ask him. "You shouldn't listen to Zulev. He's just trying to get into your head," Arthur said trying to stall the conversation that was bound to be had.

"He told you?" Vincent asked looking at Arthur now.

"No. He just told me that he had seen something… terrible in your mind," Arthur said.

Vincent sighed and said, "He's not wrong."

Arthur was hesitant about asking what Vincent had done. But he knew it eventually had to be asked. So he took a deep breath and said, "What did you do? If you… don't mind me asking."

Vincent took a moment before he asked, "You've probably never heard of the name Vincent Magier before, have you?"

"Am I supposed to?" Arthur asked. "Besides knowing you for over a month."

Vincent frowned and said, "Yes and no."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked annoyed that Vincent was speaking in riddles again.

"You've never been taught about it before because your father has kept it a secret not just from you, but from plenty of others," Vincent said.

"Your name or the genocide?" Arthur asked.

"Both," Vincent said. He looked up at the sky again. He sighed and stood up. "I'll… tell you another time Arthur. Right now we have to continue our advance towards the mountains."

"The mountains can wait. Whatever Zulev said shook you up. If you tell me the truth, maybe I can understand," Arthur said with confidence.

This time Vincent was the one to chuckle instead of Zulev. "Maybe. But you first Prince Arthur," Vincent said before making his way back to camp.

Arthur watched the old lucario walk away and he wondered if Vincent knew about his deal with Zulev. It sent a shiver down his spine thinking about it. But if Vincent did know, then why hasn't he tried to stop him yet?

 _As much as I'd love to hear him spill the beans. The_ devil _is waiting for you. And I'm very impatient._ Zulev said. Arthur created a scowl in his mind at Zulev for reading his thoughts again.

Arthur started to make his way back to camp where the others were surely prepared to go already. But as he was walking, he heard movement behind him and turned around quickly. He scanned the forest hoping that the soldiers hadn't found their group.

But what he heard next was much worse than the soldiers and drove fear into his heart as Zulev said. _Scourge._

* * *

 **Criticism and reviews are always appreciated. See you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	28. From the smallest ember

**Chapter 27**

 **From the smallest ember**

* * *

 _Scourge?! But we're not even in their territory yet. Why are they this close?_ Arthur asked as he took off towards the camp.

 _The Scourge has become rather aggressive as of late with everything going on._ Zulev said. _His majesty expected a couple of million people to die including the king. But he didn't expect the crowned prince to leave his kingdom. Because of your disappearance, he's confident in his ability to take the City of Aaron._

Arthur kept running through the forest while his mind was spinning in several ways. Everything that was happening was a result of his rashness. Millions believed he was working with the Scourge while the Scourge themselves saw his disappearance as a good enough reason to push up their attacks. Conter Valley was the first to suffer the wrath of the Scourge and now the sacred City of Aaron was next. All because he had abandoned his people to hunt down a Titan, and even then he had lost hope in his ability to bring down Zulev which made him strike a deal with the large Titan.

Arthur's thoughts were abruptly interrupted as something crashed into him with the force of a charging bouffalant. He was thrown off the ground and into a tree making him yelp as he fell to the ground. The pain quickly faded due to his ability that was neglecting the pain. He looked to see what had hit him and noticed that nothing was there. He lifted his body off the ground and looked around. Suddenly, he was struck again from behind slamming him into another tree. He growled as he tried to anticipate where the next attack would come from, but he quickly realized after getting struck again that whatever was attacking him was lightning fast.

So he instead attempted to run as fast as he could to the others to try and get help. But the Scourge that was chasing him wasn't giving him any chance to go anywhere as it struck Arthur in the head this time sending him to the ground. The world spun in circles as he tried to readjust to the sight of the world. He didn't know how he was going to get out of this one.

 _I could call him off if you'd like._ Zulev offered.

 _What about the others?_ Arthur asked.

 _What about them?_ Zulev asked back.

 _Aren't the Scourge after them as well?_ Arthur said.

Zulev chuckled and said. _They are expendable. Losing a group of people that don't exist and a few people who aren't even supposed to be alive won't hurt anybody and they should not stand in the way of you and Ana._

Arthur growled at Zulev's disregard of his friends before getting struck again by the speed demon that was still attacking him. He knew his situation was getting worse if he didn't do something soon. But at that moment he was more concerned about his group of friends who were probably facing Scourge as well. He hoped that Vincent and Brandon would be using their Z-power to take the Scourge down. With the speed of the Scourge he was facing now, he was afraid that even the Valkyries wouldn't stand a chance against the enemy.

Then it hit him just as quickly as the next attack. The Scourge that was attacking him was using the trees to hide his movements. What if Vincent and Brandon weren't enough? Would there Z-power be a reliable source in a situation like this if they couldn't even see their target? What hope did they have if they couldn't fight back?

An idea popped into his head as he looked around. The trees may be hiding his enemy. But trees were flammable and fortunately, Arthur was a fire type. He knew that burning down the forest would give his party's position away to the soldiers of the City of Aaron. It was a risk he had to take, however. The soldiers wouldn't even get their chance to kill him if the Scourge did it first.

Arthur inhaled deeply and beckoned the flames from his belly. He bellowed out a stream of flames as he said. _**Flamethrower.**_ The trees around him began to burn as he breathed fire all around him. He continued to breathe fire until he was struck by his attacker again. But the attack wasn't blunt like a fist or a kick this time, but instead a blast of water that silenced his flames. He was dealing with a water type pokemon which he was weak to. The fire that had been burning the trees around him was put out quicker than he could have imagined possible. He was vulnerable again as the Scourge struck him multiple times with water attacks that hindered his ability to use his flames.

 _You should've won by now._ Zulev said which made Arthur scowl at the Titan.

 _How could I? I'm fighting a water type that I can't even see! I stand no chance!_ Arthur said as he took another barrage of punches and kicks. Arthur fell to the ground as he tried his best to hold himself up. The world was becoming blurry around him. He was fighting a losing battle. One that was probably going to kill him.

He heard a scream in the distance that was very clearly Nila's. She was in trouble. He found himself ignoring the pain in his body as he stood up quickly. He began to run again to the camp but was stopped only a few steps after running by the Scourge's attacks. Nila was in trouble and he couldn't do anything about it.

 _Arthur! Where are you?! We need your help!_ Vincent said in his mind filling him with worry. _We can't find where they're striking from! Kylie's gone down and Nila has been given a deep wound! She's losing blood fast!_ Arthur felt the horrifying words sink into his heart. His friends were going to die because they couldn't fight back. They stood no chance unless they could see their enemy.

He felt that feeling again. That sudden power that he had no idea how to access. That pure, burning rage inside. The water that drenched his fur began to evaporate in the air while the grass around him turned to ash. He felt the flames ignite his body in a fury of anger and rage. The Scourge struck him in the head again, but this time Arthur was able to see the attack and the attacker. A coarsely, brown looking greninja was attacking him. Arthur watched as he leaped back to the trees and disappeared. He saw the world begin to slow down. He could see the blurs in the trees as the greninja flew back in forth, he could hear the snapping of branches as the Scourge stepped on and off of them, and he could smell his horrid scent in the air. The flames on his body burned with a lust for vengeance.

He inhaled deeply and called upon the flames once more. The greninja attacked him with another water attack, but it evaporated quickly as it hit him. At that moment, Arthur knew he had won. _**INFERNO OVERDRIVE.**_ Arthur unleashed the inferno from his belly and lit the forest ablaze as the trees around him were vaporized from the sheer heat of the initial blast. The world around him was a mix of red and yellow the sun in the sky fueled his flames even more as he continued to raze the world to the ground.

The greninja that was invisible to him before lost his footing in the trees and fell to the ground. He realized that there was nowhere to go as the flames blocked his path to escape. Arthur had found himself in a flurry of emotions. He charged at the greninja in a speed he had never achieved and before his enemy got the chance to react, he was bashed in the gut by Arthur and fell to the ground in pain. Arthur placed his paw on the greninja's chest to forbid him from leaving. The Scourge stared up at him in fear. This time, Arthur wouldn't be taking any prisoners. He inhaled deeply and released the flames onto the greninja. _**Flamethrower.**_ The Scourge howled in agony, but Arthur refused to stop until he felt the life leave the body of his attacker. The greninja was motionless as Arthur stopped the stream of flames coming from his maw. The Scourge was barely recognizable as his body had been scorched to burnt flesh and ash.

 _About time._ Zulev said. Arthur was already annoyed enough with Zulev and he wasn't in any mood to listen to him as he took off towards the camp.

 _You and I are going to have a very serious talk later._ Arthur warned.

 _I can't wait._ Zulev said laughing again.

Arthur ran through the forest at max speed in hopes to reach the group before the Scourge got the chance to take any lives. He felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins as the fire on his body lit his legs ablaze sending him into a full-fledged charge. _**Heat Crash.**_ He charged through the flames at unbelievable speeds. He noticed the fire he had sparked had spread farther than he thought it would. He wondered if it had reached the camp or how close the soldiers were with the obvious smoke in the air.

He heard a voice talking up ahead and recognized that it was Vincent yelling. He looked up and through the trees to find the attackers' locations. With his enhanced senses, he saw six jumping around and another two clashing with the group. He saw Kylie on the ground and Nila being held by Min. Mono, Vivian, Alex, and Hannah were fighting alongside Vincent and Brandon who seemed to be worn out.

He wasted no time as he burst out of the forest and slammed into a Scourge electabuzz. The force Arthur had created on impact sent it flying through the trees. The other one whom Arthur couldn't identify jumped back into hiding with the other six. _**Flamethrower.**_ Arthur turned around and lit the trees that surrounded the group ablaze. Like before, the closest trees were instantly vaporized by the flames while the ones that were behind them were sent into a raging inferno. The sky was covered with layers of smoke that rose from the burning forest. Arthur had only hoped to smoke out the Scourge that were attacking him and his group. But he had instead created one of the biggest forest fires in centuries.

Two of the seven remaining Scourge ran out of the burning trees and tried to attack him in unison. But Arthur avoided the first attack from a toxicroak and bit into the Scourge's arm. _**Fire fang.**_ He pulled them in front of him quickly and used them as a shield when the second Scourge, a scrafty, tried to punch him. Arthur thought the Scourge would stop his attack, but he landed it right into the toxicroak who growled painfully. Before the scrafty got the chance to pull back, Arthur threw the toxicroak and lunged at the scrafty. Arthur brought them to the ground and slashed violently at them until they stopped moving. He looked in the direction of the toxicroak who was trying to get away. But Arthur set the toxicroak on fire with a vicious flame that rose instantly from the ground. _**Inferno.**_ The Scourge shrieked in pain as it rolled around on the ground in a fire that wouldn't go out until he became motionless as well.

Arthur looked through the flames and saw the other five Scourge staring him down. Even though he was outnumbered, he outpowered them. He also had the fuel of the flames that were burning down the forest. There was nowhere for them to hide now. It was just them and Arthur facing off in a burning forest.

"Brandon," Arthur called back. "Find a way to get us all the hell out of here. I'll hold them off for now."

"I'll fight alongside you Prince Arthur," Vincent said behind him.

"No. Tend to the others. These five are mine," Arthur said as he began to run towards the five Scourge. He couldn't identify what type of pokemon they were from the blur of the heatwaves. But it didn't matter what they were. Arthur was going to beat them all before they got another chance to hurt anybody.

The five charged towards him as well. They spread out as they dashed in his direction. He wanted to end the battle as quickly as possible because he didn't know how long he could keep his flames burning for and he wasn't going to give his foes a chance to find out. As he picked up his pace, he thought of one way that would take them all out at once if he was able to land it correctly. But he needed to focus one of them to convince the others to try and attack him all at once and when they did, he would beat them all in one move.

He aimed for the one in the middle and inhaled deeply. The one in the middle prepared to block the attack while others spread out and ran around Arthur. They waited for him to use flamethrower. But as Arthur exhaled, no flames followed. The four that had surrounded him were too close to avoid the attack he had planned for them. _**Eruption.**_ The ground beneath Arthur exploded sending rocks of fire upon everyone around him. He had hit three of his targets that were either crushed and killed instantly or crushed and burned to death underneath the searing flames. One of the two who had managed to dodge the attack jumped back quickly into a burning tree that had fallen. They got caught in the branches of the tree and tried to escape, but couldn't as the flames consumed them.

The one that went unscathed by the attack watched in horror as four of his allies were killed in less than ten seconds. He looked at Arthur and began to step back. He was full of fear as Arthur started towards him. The Scourge, which was a swampert as Arthur got a better look, looked around to try and find a way out. But he was surrounded by flames. There was nothing he could do. Even if he had the type advantage, Arthur's flames were too strong and too hot to put out.

He looked at Arthur and said in a hoarse voice, "What are you?"

Arthur laughed at that and responded with, "Your worst fucking nightmare." He inhaled deeply again to finish off his target, but the swampert was struck by something from behind him which made him fall flat to the ground. Behind him was a golisopod, the same one that had broken Arthur's leg, and behind him was a large group of soldiers that ran in front of him to detain the Scourge swampert. They immediately noticed Arthur and ignored the Scourge on the ground. They stood battle ready as they stared at Arthur with anger in their eyes.

"You," the golisopod said glaring at Arthur intently. His eyes darted around Arthur and he looked shocked. The soldiers saw the bodies of the burnt Scourge as well and began to mutter amongst themselves.

"It's time to go, Prince Arthur," Vincent said behind him. Arthur turned around and saw that Brandon was opening a portal. The mightyena looked severely strained as he held the portal open for the others to walk through.

He turned back to the group of soldiers who were watching him now. "Sorry about the mess fellas, but I have to go," Arthur said as he turned around and ran towards the portal. He thought he would hear the soldiers following behind them, but he only heard the fire burning and the wood of the trees cracking as he ran through the portal.

* * *

 **Do you smell something burning?**

 **Criticism and reviews are appreciated. See you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	29. Destiny

**Chapter 28**

 **Destiny**

* * *

As soon as Arthur appeared on the other side of the portal, the flames that had ignited his body were put out. He felt his senses return to normal and the grass around him no longer burned to ash. Even though he was glad he no longer set the world ablaze wherever he walked, he still had no clue how he had accessed his hidden power. A question for another day as he began to scan his surroundings.

Arthur found himself standing in the shadows of large mountains. The wind traveled through the valley creating a gentle breeze that made him shiver. Large trees stood on the sides of the mountains and stretched down into the valley. It was just like any other mountain range except for one thing. It was quiet.

There was no sound of a flock of flying pokemon in the air. No rumble of a herd of ground pokemon walking through the mountains. Even the trees with all the shaking they did from the wind remained ghostly silent. There was no doubt in Arthur's mind that they had reached the western mountains, home of the terrible Titan Zulev.

 _Welcome._ Zulev said laughing wickedly. Arthur could feel that the connection between his and Zulev's mind was stronger. The Titan's voice in his head was deeper and raspier than Arthur had previously known. _I haven't had guests in a while. Forgive me if the place seems a little… dead._ Arthur knew Zulev was toying with his mind and unfortunately, it was working.

Arthur did his best to shove the eerie feeling he was getting from the mountains out of his head as he looked east. He could see a massive cloud of rising black smoke. The smoke would probably be seen for miles for how large it was. Arthur had definitely gone overkill when he sent the forest into a blazing inferno. There was going to be a massive spot of ash and dead trees in the center of the forest by the time water pokemon had gotten done with putting the flames out and even then, Arthur's flames proved that they negated water type moves. He hoped that the flames would be weak enough the farther they went out to make it easier for the water types to save whatever was left of the forest.

He turned back to his group of friends to check on their condition. Most of the Valkyries were exhausted but seemed to have only minor cuts and bruises save for Kylie who was still unconscious and Nila who had suffered a wound to the head. Then Arthur laid eyes on Brandon who was on the ground coughing breathlessly. His legs trembled uncontrollably as the veins in them bulged. Blood dripped from his nose and his eyes were bloodshot. Min was holding him while Vincent was checking him up and down while forcing him to drink down some kind of mixture Arthur had never seen before.

"What happened to him?" Arthur asked as he rushed over to the three.

"He overworked himself by taking us this far into the mountains," Vincent said putting the cap back on the canteen with the strange mixture.

"What do you mean he overworked himself?" Arthur asked worriedly.

Vincent looked annoyed as he said, "His warping ability allows him to travel from one spot to another within only a couple of seconds that could usually take a day, a week, or even a month if he has the energy for it which brings us to the fact that he has no energy left." Vincent took a cloth out of his bag and poured water onto it. He covered Brandon's head while he explained, "He warped us a great distance away from where we once were. That already plays a part in how much energy is taken to create the warp. But the mass of people or cargo going through the warp also plays a big part in energy consumption. Unfortunately, he warped ten people over a long distance. Thus, he's nearly killed himself in the process."

Arthur looked back at the forest. He realized what Vincent was talking about when he had said that they traveled a massive distanced. It had to at least be a few dozen miles from his point of view. That plus the number of people he had carried over that distance when he was already tired enough as he was from the battle with the Scourge.

"Is he going to be alright?" Min asked in a shaky voice. She looked petrified as she held Brandon in her forelegs.

Vincent left the wet cloth on Brandon's head and stood up. "Yeah. He'll be fine. Luckily I came prepared for a situation like this," Vincent said placing the bottle with the strange mixture in it next to Brandon. "Give him some more of this if he begins to faint. Only small swigs. Don't do too much."

Min nodded as she pulled Brandon closer to her. Tears trickled down her face onto the mightyena's fur making Arthur hate himself. All this just so he could make a deal with Zulev and betray his friends and his kingdom. It tasted like iron, cold and disgusting.

"As for you," Vincent said grabbing Arthur's attention. The lucario looked serious as he stared at him and said, "We need to talk." Arthur knew what this was going to be about. He knew Vincent was probably going to lecture him about recklessly setting a forest on fire and he was prepared to take responsibility for it.

"Right," Arthur said following Vincent away from the group.

They walked into the cover of a few trees where they were alone. The old lucario sat down and pulled out a canteen of water and gulped it down quickly. He patted the ground in front of him indicating for Arthur to sit. He walked over to the spot and sat down quietly waiting for Vincent to say something.

After Vincent had put his canteen of water away, he started with, "So here we are. The western mountains where Zulev is surely waiting for you." Arthur looked at Vincent with fear. The lucario smiled and said, "Did you think I wouldn't notice? The group already knows you're talking to him, but I know a little more than they do. I know part of you is too scared to fight Zulev. I also know that you have been talking to him about something else besides the fight that you say you're supposedly going to have with him. I just don't know what that something else is."

 _It is not of his concern! Tell that two-faced rat to mind his damn-_

Arthur felt his connection with Zulev snap like a branch. His head also felt a slight disconnection to everything around him. It felt like a wall was blocking his mind's reach.

"So good to finally have a minute to talk to you alone. He was getting annoying," Vincent said sighing. Arthur noticed a blue glow in Vincent's eyes that had never happened before. Although, the glow did remind him of something he had seen before, though he wasn't able to wrap his head around it.

"Are you blocking him?" Arthur asked curiously.

"I am. Does that bother you?" Vincent asked staring at him with a smile that made Arthur nervous.

Arthur didn't know what he felt. It was good to know that Zulev wasn't spying on his thoughts anymore, but it was uncomfortable knowing that they could and were being blocked from everything else by one person. An especially mysterious person at that.

"I don't know how to feel about it," Arthur said. "But why does it feel like a wall is surrounding my head?"

"Forgive me. Unfortunately, my mind isn't as powerful as it used to be. Age tends to do that to you," Vincent said scratching his chin. "In my youth, I was able to single out whatever I wanted to. But now I can't control what I block. Again, forgive me."

"How long can you block him for?" Arthur asked, wondering how much time they had until Zulev would sneaking into his thoughts again. He also feared that Zulev might throw a fit for being blocked.

"Long enough to have a private conversation with you that doesn't involve him," Vincent said smiling. "He won't mind, especially since we're at his doorstep."

"We are?" Arthur asked looking around him. He knew Zulev lived in the mountains, he just didn't know where in the mountains.

Vincent nodded and said, "This is it, Arthur. You've gone through a long and tough journey, evaded your people, and made new allies. So what happens next? What do you plan on doing? Are you going to fight Zulev as you said, or are you going to take another route?"

Arthur looked at Vincent who was still staring at him with those glowing blue eyes. He wondered at that moment if the old lucario was reading his mind. If he had already figured out what Arthur had agreed to. "I… I don't know…" Arthur admitted. He was holding the fate of millions of people in his paws. It would be the path he chooses that was going to decide the life of his people and most likely the kingdom altogether.

Vincent sat up straight and said, "Listen well, Arthur. Whatever path you have chosen or will choose does not change my opinion about you."

"And what exactly is your opinion of me," Arthur asked hesitantly.

Vincent studied Arthur for a minute until he finally answered with, "You're stubborn, you have a temper, and you can be quite reckless." Arthur frowned at the answer and opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when Vincent continued, "Buuut. I think you care for those around you. I think that even when you try to hide it, you have a deep desire to protect those you love most and maybe those you don't know at all. Your heart is big no matter what you seem like on the outside and whatever decision you make, I believe it will be the right one."

Arthur was unconvinced. How could his heart be big if he was hiding a terrible secret from everyone around him who believed he was going to fight Zulev?

"What… is the right decision, Vincent?" Arthur asked.

"That depends on you kid. You have to make that decision however hard it may be to make because no one else can help you make it," Vincent said smiling.

"What about the others? What about the Valkyries, what about you?" Arthur asked concerned. The Valkyries would be enraged by Arthur's decision if chose Zulev's deal and he thought that Vincent came along to help him to fight Zulev.

Vincent laughed and took the canteen of water bag out. He drank down the water before putting it down and saying, "The Valkyries won't be there to help you and neither will I."

"What?!" Arthur asked jumping to his feet. If he would have no help in fighting Zulev, then what purpose was there in trying? He might as well as surrender. "But I don't stand a chance against him alone! He'll destroy me!"

Vincent stood up as well and said, "You hold the blood of many great kings and queens and many bad ones Arthur. But all of those kings and queens come from the same bloodline. The Drachen bloodline. You, like King Aaron, made the decision that you would attempt the impossible. You decided to do something no one else would do. Aaron will always hold the title of Scourgebane. But you. You'll have to decide what you are remembered for."

Vincent began to walk back towards the camp but stopped a few steps ahead. "You don't need our help, Arthur. Not anymore," Vincent said. "Well. Kylie, Nila, and Brandon are going to be out for a bit. So we'll have to wait a bit before we move out again. It's very unfortunate that we won't be reaching Zulev today. I'm going to go tell the others to rest for now. Return to us whenever you're ready Arthur. I'll be waiting," Vincent said turning around with a big smile on his face. "I still have to tell you who I am." With that, the old lucario walked back towards the camp until he was out of sight.

Arthur stood quietly in the shade of the trees. Everything was so peaceful, so calm. The breeze flowing throughout the valley made the trees shiver and drop their leaves. Some orange, yellow, red, and some brown. In the distance, he could some more trees dropping blue, pink, and white leaves. The sky shined brightly as the sun stood at its peak with small white clouds moving around it. The world was preparing for something. Something big.

Arthur felt Zulev's conscience enter his mind. He could feel the rage coming off from the beast as Zulev spoke in anger. _My patience is running thin Arthur. It is time._

Arthur looked back towards the camp where a small smoke was coming from. His friends were waiting for him there. Everyone was waiting for him to come back so they could prepare for their assault on Zulev. But he knew he would not be going back to them.

 _You're right Zulev. It is time. The deal is off._ Arthur said as he turned west making his way towards the large Titan.

He felt a numerous amount of confusing emotions going off in his mind. Rage, anger, annoyance… fear. Arthur could feel fear in his mind. But it wasn't his own. He didn't fear Zulev anymore and he wasn't afraid of what was to come. Arthur picked himself up and ran through the mountains with only one thing on his mind. Saving his people, saving his family, saving Ana.

The Titan's voice was hoarse and broken as it spoke with no emotion in it. _So be it._

* * *

 **Thursday was my birthday! Yay me! I turned eighteen! Unfortunately, I didn't get so lucky in getting pretty badly sick. Sorry this is kind of late. Went from celebrating to suffering and dying from my nose. Quite a cruel fate if you ask me.**

 **Criticism and reviews are appreciated. See you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	30. The Brightest Flame

**Chapter 29**

 **The Brightest Flame**

* * *

The world was standing still. Everything felt so much slower to Arthur. Every step he moved felt like the equivalent of a year, every breath he took was strained and forced. Everything he had gone through led him up to this point. To the moment where he would clash with one of the most feared creatures in existence. But he was having doubts.

Arthur didn't know how to fight something massive in size let alone kill it. Zulev was also a rock and dragon pokemon which meant his fire wouldn't be strong against him, not to mention that he couldn't even control when his secret power turned on and off. He was facing all the disadvantages going into this battle, but he was facing them head-on.

Arthur was afraid, there was no need to lie to himself. However, he knew that the lives of millions rested on his shoulders. If he couldn't take Zulev down, then millions of people of the Divine kingdom would die and the kingdom itself would fall. There would be no stopping the Scourge and their wrath. It would be the end of everything. It would be the end of Ana.

He had only known her for a couple of days, but he had found something in her that he couldn't find in anyone else. Even with his stubbornness, she still smiled his way and listened to him. Even when she was dying from the plague, she still smiled and joked. He would lose that smile if he didn't kill Zulev and he couldn't let that happen.

 _Give in Arthur. You won't last against me. I have you beat._ Zulev growled in his mind. But Arthur held to his path and ignored the Titan. _Even if you manage to unlock your secret flame, you're still weak against me and my rock-hard Scourge armor only makes my defense stronger against you. Surrender while you still have a chance._

 _Funny._ Arthur said with a smile on his face. _I was going to ask you the same thing._ Arthur was never one for jokes, but they were the only thing controlling his fear at the moment.

 _Do you think this will be a battle? Don't fool yourself. All I have to do is step on you and you'll be dead._ Zulev said trying to further discourage Arthur.

Arthur's only response was more retaliation. _Then I'll just have to move fast enough._ And that was the truth of the situation. Zulev may overpower him in strength, size, and type strengths and weaknesses. But Arthur was a small target to hit. If he could stay on his feet and find a way to breach Zulev's armor, he may stand a chance yet.

Arthur stopped running as he found himself in a large valley with dead trees and rotten grass. Clouds covered the sky blocking the light from seeping through. No breeze flowed through the valley. Everything felt dead in the valley. The biggest giveaway was the large gashes in the mountains. Arthur knew there was no turning back now.

 _You do not want this fight, Arthur. You won't win._ Zulev warned. _If you were anyone else, I wouldn't give you another chance. But I see great potential in you, potential I haven't seen in a very long time. I also see someone who hasn't treated me like a beast. Which is why I'm going to give you one last chance to submit defeat and join me._

 _The only way this is going to go is with one of us dead._ "Now face me Zulev! It's time to end this once and for all!" Arthur roared, his voice echoing through the valley.

For a moment, there was nothing but the anticipation. The realization that he was going to be in a clash with a Titan who had all the advantages on his side. Arthur didn't know what he was feeling. Fear, anger, adrenaline, confidence. What would a person feel when fighting a Titan? What should they feel?

Arthur lost his thoughts as he saw something no person could ever say they've seen. The mountains were shaking ever so slightly as if they were trembling in fear. Then all of a sudden, the mountain in front of him cracked like a shell sending a ripple through the ground. From the crack in the mountain, Arthur could see the same glow he had seen in his mind not too long ago. That monstrous white ring staring at him.

The crack in the mountain expanded revealing the massive Titan from its hidden solitude. Zulev looked exactly as he did when Arthur first met him. The same crimson and brown body with the same coarse body. The same creepy smile. Zulev didn't look even slightly scared. Why would he? The difference in size was obvious to both of them. Zulev toppled Arthur.

 _You are a fool, Arthur Drachen._ Zulev said roaring into the sky. Arthur winced at how loud the sound was, but he held his ground. He would not be discouraged by Zulev's various advantages. Instead, he would focus on what advantages he had and what disadvantages Zulev had.

"How about you stop talking and actually do something!" Arthur roared back at Zulev.

The Titan tilted its head back down and laughed evilly. Arthur waited for a response in his head, but instead, he got a response in words, "Be careful what you wish for." Zulev slammed his head into the ground and used it to dig up a large cluster of dirt and rocks which he hurled at him.

Arthur ran to his left as quickly as he could narrowly avoiding the impact of the rock. Though the shockwave that came with it made him trip and crash into the ground. He looked at Zulev who was walking towards him. The good news was Zulev was slow whereas Arthur has speed on his side. Though that wouldn't matter if he couldn't find a way to break through Zulev's rock hard armor. Which meant he had to find a way to use his Z-Power manually.

He got up and started to run up the side of the mountain. If he could maintain the high ground, it would be difficult for Zulev to hit him and it would allow him to recollect himself. Unfortunately, running up the mountain was no simple task seeing as there was nothing to get a grip on.

"Leaving so soon, Prince Arthur? Come here you little bug," Zulev said standing in a running stance preparing to ram the mountain. Arthur realized there would be no way to avoid the Zulev's massive body being thrown at him, so he looked around for anything he could sink into to avoid the attack. He noticed a small cave down the mountain and quickly took off running trying to ignore the fact that he might get body-slammed at any moment.

Arthur was close to the cave when Zulev charged at him with each stomp sounding like a drum beat. He dove towards the cave and managed to barely escape into it before Zulev crashed into the mountain. The cave was encased in darkness as Zulev's body blocked the entrance. Arthur ran deeper into the mountain before Zulev got the chance to snatch him.

He found himself in a labyrinth of tunnels with each one sloping downwards. He ran into walls and tripped over small rocks that he couldn't see. He was blind in the tunnels and he needed to find a way out. Arthur stood still as he caught his breath. He inhaled and let out a small flame that lit up the tunnel he was in.

There were multiple pathways to his left and one to his right all of which didn't look inviting. He closed his eyes and tried to remember how many times he had turned left and right. But the only thing that was on his mind when he was running through the tunnels was escaping Zulev's wrath.

 _You were so confident earlier, Arthur. Now look at you, cowering inside a mountain._ Zulev said with a cackle.

 _Maybe I am. At least I'm safe from you for now._ Arthur countered. It was a good thing too. Arthur now had a little time to try and activate his Z-Power and he was hoping he could.

 _Are you sure you're safe, little prince?_ Zulev asked. Arthur felt a slight rumble in the walls and he let out another small flame. He could see cracks in the walls and rubble falling from the ceiling. Then another rumble, but louder this time shook the tunnel along with the ground. Arthur realized that Zulev was trying to collapse the tunnels.

He started to panic as he tried to decide which tunnel to go through. He exhaled another flame that lit up the paths. The ones on the left went down while the one on the right went up. His gut was telling him to go up to obtain the high ground, but logic was telling him that going down will give him the advantage of hiding in plain sight. Zulev was massive in size and it would probably be hard for him to see Arthur around his feet, but it was also a huge risk for if Zulev did notice him, he would be crushed almost instantly.

He decided to trust logic and ran through one of the left tunnels leading downwards. Arthur could feel the tremors getting stronger, so he picked up the pace hoping to some kind of exit from the collapsing labyrinth. But as he did, Zulev's wrath only seemed to get stronger. Then it hit him. Zulev was still in his mind. He could see exactly what Arthur was thinking and planning.

 _Figured it out, did we?_ Zulev said laughing as he continued to hit the mountain. Arthur hadn't realized that the most severe disadvantage he had in this battle was his mind. If Zulev could enter his mind at any given moment then he would know what Arthur was planning on next and how he was going to do it unless he found a way to block the Titan's telekinetic power.

 _It's impossible Arthur. My mind is many times stronger than your own. You don't stand a chance. I know everything you plan on doing before you do it. Give up!_ Zulev said before violently slamming into the mountain causing the tunnels to begin to collapse behind Arthur. He tried to clear his mind of all thoughts to block out Zulev, but it only seemed to make the ceiling collapse faster.

He turned corner after corner searching for a sign of life and just when he thought there was no end, he saw a faint glow at the end of the tunnel. He pushed his legs to the limit to reach the exit before the collapsing tunnel could reach him. He burst out into the opening and before he knew it he was rolling down the mountain. He came to a stop a few seconds after leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

He let his eyes adjust to the world before looking around. But just as he was close to looking up, he brought his head back down quickly. He stared at the ground thankful he had remembered Zulev was still in his mind. He needed to find a way to get rid of the Titan's vision before he could try and move. This was all off the hope that Zulev didn't already know where he was.

 _Take your time Arthur. It'll give me the chance to crush you beneath my foot!_ Zulev said. Arthur could hear the Titan's growl above him. Wherever he was, it was close to Zulev which only put more fear into his mind. He needed a solution and fast.

He thought about clearing his thoughts again until he thought about the tunnels. He had cleared his thoughts there and it only made things worse. Zulev was striking in places that were closer to him as if he was able to pinpoint him easier. Maybe clearing his thoughts wasn't the right way to go about this, but perhaps the opposite. If he could flood his mind with as many memories as possible, he might be able to blind Zulev's vision in his mind making it harder for him to focus on the thought that matters.

Arthur decided to give it a try as he began to think of all the moments leading up to the plague and his departure from the castle on a long and grueling journey. He thought about the City of Aaron and the Valkyries and his fight with the Scourge in the forest. He let the memories flow through his mind randomly. Finally, he took a deep breath and lifted his head slowly.

He had ended up far deeper into the valley as the mountains loomed over him, one of them being Zulev. He looked to his left and noticed that he was next to Zulev's left foot. He waited for the tyrantrum to move in a quickened way, but to his surprise, Zulev remained still. Arthur finally dared to look up.

Zulev was looking around the area beneath him making Arthur realize that he had still gotten a sense of where he had popped out. Arthur quickly looked around to find somewhere to hide. There were no trees or big rocks, however. Just the slope of the mountain and Zulev's foot. Arthur groaned quietly as he ran towards the foot of the giant Titan. If there was any place to hide from something massive, it was beneath them. Arthur got close to Zulev's foot, but not too close and hid in the shadows as he decided to think of a new plan.

"Show yourself, Arthur! You're only delaying the inevitable!" Zulev shouted into the valley making Arthur wince again. It was good to note that if at any moment he let up the memory flood in his head, he would give away his position. Being beneath Zulev's giant shadow gave him the cover he needed to devise a plan. But it was a huge risk that could lead to Arthur getting smushed.

Arthur needed to find a way to activate his Z-Power. It was the only way he was going to cause any damage to Zulev. He continued to pull memories from his past and searched through them, specifically on ones involving times when he had activated his Z-Power and times Vincent spoke about it. There had to be a spark, an ember to ignite the inferno. But what that spark could be was beyond Arthur. He didn't know what had activated his Z-Power.

Just as he was beginning to lose hope, he had found something in common from all the times he had activated his Z-Power. Anger. Something had angered him all three times and in a fit of rage, he had burst into flames. Good thing it was anger too because Arthur had a lot of things to be angry about against Zulev.

He took a silent breath and tried to calm himself as he summoned up the flames from his belly. He focused on his anger and rage against Zulev and channeled it into his body. He stood strong and tall as he shouted in his head. _**Inferno Overdrive.**_

Arthur waited for his body to burst into flames, but to his disbelief, he still felt the same. His senses weren't enhanced and he couldn't see the world slowing down. There were no flames on his body and no sudden strength. He felt nothing but the cold air around him. He tried saying the words again. _**Inferno Overdrive.**_ He waited and he waited, yet there was nothing.

 _Why isn't it working?!_ Arthur growled in his mind before he got a chance to stop himself. He realized that he had let go of the memories flooding his head. He also noticed that it was getting dark fast. He felt fear run through his body as he looked up to find a giant brown foot crush his body.

Then there was darkness. Not the type when the sun wasn't out or when you were inside an unlit building. The kind that felt like nothing. There was no pain, no sound, nothing. It was an empty abyss. Arthur couldn't even feel his own body. It was as if all the energy was stripped away from him at that very moment.

Suddenly, the world around him twisted and turned as it shaped something new. Arthur watched as rock rose from the ground and shaped a tall wall. From the top of the wall, water fell creating a pond beneath him that eventually turned into a lake. Trees rose from the sides of the lake and the ground turned into a sandy shore. The sun appeared in the sky and lit the world a bright shade of blue. Arthur found himself standing somewhere he had never been before.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a familiar voice asked from behind him. Arthur whipped around to find Aaron standing on the sand with a smile on his face. The flareon didn't look as ghostly as he had when Arthur first met him. He almost looked real.

"What is this place?" Arthur asked looking around before asking a better question, "What is this?"

"A memory," Aaron answered. "Not yours, but mine," he said when Arthur gave him a confused look.

Arthur took another look at where he was. The trees glowed a bright golden color that no other tree had. The lake only made the glow stronger as it reflected off what could be mistaken for sunlight. It was like he was standing in Heaven.

Arthur felt a creeping suspicion come over him as he turned back to Aaron who looked real which could only mean one thing. This place had to be heaven which made Arthur dead. After the long journey he endured to try and save his people and the people he loved, he was killed by being stomped on.

"So I'm dead…" Arthur said looking down. Millions were going to join him eventually. There was no way Zulev could be beaten. It was an impossibility that Arthur had learned the hard way.

"That depends," Aaron said looking at him.

"What do you mean that _depends_?" Arthur asked confused. "I was crushed by a mountain. My body is probably flat right about now and if not, Zulev has most likely chewed it to pieces. Plus, this place is-"

"A memory," Aaron interrupted. "I never said it was the afterlife."

"Than how am I viewing this memory if it's yours?" Arthur asked lifting his feet and stomping in the water a few times to check if it was real or not. It felt real, but it had a much smoother texture than any regular lake.

Aaron laughed before saying, "We never left you, Arthur. We've been watching over you ever since you left the City of Aaron. Or my city. That's weird having a city named after you."

Arthur didn't know how to respond to Aaron. He looked so calm and relaxed as if Arthur hadn't just been crushed. He wanted to know how the flareon could keep such a composure. Surely he must've known millions were about to join the both of them. So why did he still smile? Why did he still joke? And what did this place have to do with any of it?

"I don't get it," Arthur said. "Aren't you concerned for the people of the kingdom? I just failed in saving them! They're going to die because of my inability to access my Z-Power!"

Even after Arthur had shouted at him, Aaron kept a smile as he asked, "Do you know why I'm showing you this memory specifically?"

Arthur looked around again to see if he could find any clues as to why. But like his previous conclusion, he had never seen this place in his life. It was almost too pure to exist in the kingdom or even the world.

"I don't. I've never seen this place in my life," Arthur admitted. If it did exist, it had to be somewhere extremely well hidden.

"Very few have. This place exists somewhere that most don't believe to exist. A place as old as the first pokemon," Aaron said walking into the lake. "More importantly, this place exists as my spark."

"Your… spark?" Arthur asked.

"An activation for my Z-Power," Aaron said gaining Arthur's attention quickly.

"It does. How?" Arthur asked wondering if he could feel anything from the lake.

"This place is where I fell in love with my wife and where I brought the Scourgeslayers together." Aaron turned to Arthur and said, "You see Arthur. The thing is, Z-Power is not activated by an emotion or a buildup of power. Those only fuel it. Z-Power is something that comes from the very core of your being. Who you are on the inside is what can truly activate it."

Arthur wanted to understand what Aaron meant by that, but he couldn't wrap his head around it. Z-Power was something that amplified the user's power and senses and most of the time that Arthur activated his Z-Power was through rage and anger. What else was he missing?

Aaron seemed to notice his confusion and sighed before saying, "This memory reminds me of who I am as a person. It reminds me that at my core, family is most important. My wife and even the Scourgeslayers were family to me and this was the place where my bond with them formed."

The world that Arthur was standing in began to fade away slowly back to the void that Arthur was in before. Arthur started to panic, but Aaron remained calm and said, "The Scourgeslayers and I gave you our blessing and that blessing wasn't just us confirming you as the king. We have held ourselves together for so long just for this moment. The moment when an heir to the throne holds the potential for Z-Power and he has to face a challenge that he would have to overcome. You're not dead Arthur. Not yet. Look harder. Find your core and you will truly see what you are capable of."

The words echoed in Arthur's head as the memory slipped away taking Aaron with it leaving him in the darkness again. He tried to piece together the puzzle Aaron had left in his head. How was Arthur not dead? What core value could he not see in himself? If not his anger and rage, what else did the three times he had used Z-Power have in common? What was the key factor he could not see?

He searched for the memories in his head again and pulled them together. Much to his surprise, the memories formed before him. He was reliving his past as he saw the time he had yelled at the Henry, Captain of the King's Royal Guard, with his Z-Power to destroy all berries that had been poisoned. Moments after that Arthur got into a fight with a Scourge arcanine and used his Z-Power to destroy his opponent. And the time he had fought off the Scourge greninja and set the forest ablaze to save his friends with his Z-Power.

 _Wait._ Arthur thought as he looked through the memories again. This time he pulled another one in, the memory of when he spoke to Ana who was in bed sick from the plague. He had made a decision after he had seen her to save her. He had chosen to hunt Zulev down and to bring back his blood so he could save Ana and his family.

Arthur realized this wasn't just about them though. He wasn't trying to kill the most feared creature in history just to save the people he loved. He was trying to save an entire kingdom. Every time he had used his Z-Power, he had used it for the greater good of his people. For the greater good of his party. For the greater good of the people he loved. If Arthur failed to kill Zulev, millions would die and the kingdom would fall to the Scourge. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.

Then he felt it again. The feeling of the flame burning ever brighter. The feeling that sent a surge of energy through his bones. But it wasn't fueled by his rage or his anger. It was fueled by his determination and desire to save his people and the people he loved. It felt different. It felt stronger, hotter.

The flame ignited his belly sending a spark throughout his body. He could feel Zulev's massive weight on top of him. He could feel the pain in his body again. His back flared up greatly. It felt like his skin was being peeled off. But that wasn't going to stop him. Nothing would stop until he brought down Zulev. Not even death would get in his way or he would have to burn them too.

All he needed was a few more minutes. Even if his body would be in constant agony, he still had enough left in him to make one final push. He would have to make it work and he would. Arthur let the flames run through his body once more as he conjured up whatever energy he had left in him as he shouted in his mind. _**INFERNO OVERDRIVE.**_

The ground beneath him erupted and blew the Titan right off of him. The mountains and everything around Arthur was covered in blue flames. The ground beneath him was cracked and broken as fire burst from it like geysers. Across from him, Zulev had fallen onto one of the mountains roaring in pain. Arthur quickly noticed that Zulev's left foot had melted into a stump of burning flesh and bone.

Arthur also looked at his own body. He was also covered in blue flames that burned everything around him, even the toughest of rock. He had always been able to use red and orange flames, but never blue flames. It felt good. Really good. It was something that every fire type should experience. The pure heat surging through their bodies. There was nothing else like it.

Zulev looked back at Arthur with pure fury in his eyes as he yelled, "Don't think this is over, yet!" Zulev picked himself up and stood on the stump of his left foot. He growled painfully but held strong as he stood up and prepared to charge.

Arthur was ready for Zulev's charge. His senses were more enhanced than ever and he could think of a hundred ideas in ten seconds. That was all he needed as Zulev charged towards the mountain with his maw wide open. Before he leaped out of the way to dodge the attack, Arthur had an idea. A reckless and crazy idea.

Zulev's foot was melted from the initial burst of energy that Arthur had set off. It would take a lot to cut through the Titan's belly and chest armor and Zulev wouldn't allow Arthur to get that close enough or even let him get away with making that kind of damage. If there was a weak spot that he could hit that could kill Zulev, it was from the inside.

He couldn't give his plan away too soon though. If his plan was going to work, he had to fool Zulev into thinking that he would be killing him with one bite. Arthur would also have to be precise on which spots to burn inside Zulev. Zulev's regular blood would have no effect on Arthur's people. It needed to be his true blood from the heart. He had to strike every else inside Zulev's body that wasn't close to the heart.

Arthur jumped out of the way of the attack and ran up the mountain at an incredible speed. Zulev crashed into the mountain and roared in anger. Arthur looked behind him and found the Titan chasing him up the mountain. At that moment, Arthur came up with a new plan. If he could get Zulev to open his mouth a decent distance up the mountains, Arthur could dive in and kill him from the inside. Not only would he hurt Zulev internally, but the Titan would go tumbling down the mountain causing external damage as well. Arthur just had to get high enough.

He felt the pain in his back flare up again causing him to slow down a little. But he picked himself up just as quickly and continued to run even though his back was telling him to stop. Arthur couldn't let this opportunity slip away from him. He only needed a few more minutes. _Aaron. Help me do this. I only need a little more time!_ Arthur called out with his mind. The flames on Arthur's back burst brightly and he got faster as his feet were engulfed in blue flames.

Before he knew it, he was close to the top of the mountains with Zulev right behind him. Now all he needed was for the big Titan to open his mouth and for that Arthur knew he needed to fool Zulev. So he kept running until he was close enough to the top and tripped his body. He slammed into the face of the mountain and stayed still for a few seconds.

He heard Zulev approaching from behind roaring and stomping with rage and hatred. Arthur peeked out from under his legs and saw Zulev leaping forward with his mouth wide open. Arthur took the chance and used the flames from beneath him to jump into the Titan's large maw. Before Zulev got a chance to realize what was happening, Arthur was already sliding down the Titan's slimy tongue and into his throat.

He fell down and down through the Titan's large body until he saw a pool of acid at the bottom. Arthur knew he was going to be far enough down and away from the heart to start causing damage. So he prepared the flames in his body and summoned up every inch of his power as he let it out with an explosion. _**Incinerate.**_ The stomach inside Zulev's body was melted away by the sheer heat of the explosion. Arthur could feel the Titan's roar from the outside as the body tilted in a certain direction until it was rolling.

Arthur's plan had worked as Zulev continued to roll down the slope of the mountain causing Arthur to be flung around and slammed into all sides of Zulev's internal body. He could feel bones cracking and skin splitting on his own body and before he knew it he was shot out of a hole on Zulev's belly into the ground. He rolled down the mountain with the massive Titan who had fire bursting from multiple pieces of his waist and belly until eventually both of them hit the bottom hard. Arthur felt the wind get knocked out of him and he quickly fell unconscious.

* * *

 **Criticism and reviews are appreciated. See you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	31. Melody

**There were so many things that went wrong with the creation of this chapter. A few days after starting to write it, I managed to spill a drink into my computer efficiently killing it. A few days after, I get a new computer that acted up a lot and took a lot of time getting used to. I ended up scrapping most of the parts of this chapter to either take it another way or to adjust them. To top it off, my teachers have been throwing me a lot of work that has slowed down the progress of this chapter and by knowing how long it is, I hope you can understand it took a very long time to finally get a version I liked.**

 **In the reality of this chapter taking 4 weeks to release, it has been a real hassle trying to finish it. It should've come a week after the chapter for Angels and Demons. But then hell decided to throw a bunch of walls made of steel in my way.**

 **I'm sorry it took this long. I don't even know how many of you are still waiting or even have notifications on for this series anymore in the belief that I've abandoned it. If you are still with and following this story. I am sorry and I appreciate you sticking with me even after a whole month had passed with no sign of a new chapter. It means a lot to me and then some.**

 **There probably won't be another lengthy chapter like this one for a while. So chapters should be coming out on the regular from here on out.**

 **I'll have some things to say at the end of this chapter. Right now, however, I have to proofread eleven-thousand words and I'm not terribly excited to do so. You'll just be reading it though by the time this comes out. So enjoy it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30**

 **Melody**

* * *

 **Slayer of Titans**

* * *

 _We call it the golden flower. Mostly because we don't know its real name. But also for the fact that it glows like the sun. Pretty isn't it?_

 _Hi. My name is An- Sandra. Now I think it's about time you told me your name, sweetheart. Come on. Don't leave a girl hanging._

 _Stubborn aren't we? You're a grumpy one. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? I know I did. I'm still tired. I usually get sevent-_

 _Really? He doesn't look cruel or selfish right now. Right now he's hurting. Just give us some time mother. He just needs a breather, that's all. I promise you it'll be fine. Isn't that right, Zulev?_

 _Really mother? It's not like that! Plus, he's a prince. Be a little more respectful._

 _I'LL CARE! I'll care damn you. I don't want you to die trying to save me. Please Zulev. Don't do this. Those monsters will only use you for power. You'll be nothing but a weapon to them. Do you hear me?! If you leave me, I will never love you…_

"You don't mean that. I'm doing this for both of us. I can protect us," Zulev promised to Sandra. The goodra was staring at him unconvinced and with tears in her eyes. "You have to trust me on this one."

"I did trust you Zulev," Sandra said looking down. "Once upon a time, you promised me you could protect me yourself without anybody's help. Now you're running to the Scourge to get stronger."

Zulev started to get increasingly annoyed. He needed to protect her any way he could, even if that meant having to become a soldier in Ruan's army. Not only would it make him stronger, but it would grant his family protection. It would grant Sandra protection. That's the only thing that mattered to him.

"You're right. I am running to the Scourge to get stronger because that's what the world will come to. Can't you see that?" Zulev said angrily. "The Scourge have supreme control over everything. Eventually, we'll all be Scourge one day. Only it's better to start sooner than later."

She stared at him in horror as she said, "How can you say that? There's a secret resistance out there that-"

"Will be wiped out!" Zulev shouted at her. "They're nothing but a group of people that thinks they can fight an empire of power. What chance do they stand? The old world is gone. It's time to move on."

Sandra's expression was blank as she stared at Zulev. He didn't know what she was thinking and why she was so hostile. Certain measures had to be taken to secure their position in the world and he was willing to take the risks necessary to protect Sandra.

Zulev turned for the door and walked towards it. There was no doubt in his mind what he had to do. He didn't care if he would look any different, he didn't care if he would lose most of his friends. He would have Sandra forever and that was all that mattered.

"If that's truly what you believe, then don't bother coming back!" Sandra shouted behind him. Zulev ignored her and walked out of the house. Nothing would stand in his way.

 _Beautiful isn't she?_ Zulev said in Arthur's mind. _Met her on a Saturday night at the bar. Was in love with her ever since the first time she served me. Never told her of course. I was too stubborn to admit it even when she called me out for staring. I came back every night to get another drink from her because I couldn't get enough of her beauty. She was everything to me._

 _Eventually, I asked her out on our first date. It was something to be remembered. She was perfect in every way, shape, and form. Her voice was like music to my ears and I could listen to her all day and never get bored._ Zulev said chuckling in Arthur's mind.

 _Then the day was coming when I would ask her hand in marriage. To take her as my wife and mate for life. It was going to be the greatest day of my life. Her parents had different opinions, however. They didn't like me or the way I looked. They called me suspicious and we ended up in arguments half the time. It was difficult._ Zulev admitted.

 _But when she stepped in, the world seemed to slow down. Everything got better instantaneously. It was like she was a gift from Arceus himself. A woman of perfect nature who could cure all problems. I failed that person._

His whole body was in pain as he tried to force his limbs to move. The valley reeked of blood and flesh. He also noticed there was something wrong with his left foreleg. He couldn't feel it. Almost like it wasn't even there. He lifted his head slowly and opened his eyes.

The sun was setting on the world signaling that night was on its way. There was not a cloud to be seen in the sky and the stars began to show themselves ever so slightly. The mountain Arthur had rolled down with Zulev was broken and covered in blood.

He turned around and found a massive body in the center of the valley. If Arthur hadn't known that it was Zulev, he wouldn't have recognized the Titan. His body was broken and distorted in multiple places while he was melted in other places. The sight itself was sickening to look at and Arthur felt close to losing his stomach.

 _I loved her so much and in the end, I failed her._ Zulev said. Arthur noticed that Zulev was just barely breathing.

 _There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret leaving her. For as long as I've lived, I've wanted to change history. Change how things would've been back then. But I'm subjected to Ruan's crazy torment and power. His rule over me is absolute and there was nothing I could do about it. I dragged myself into this state. I put myself here._

Arthur lifted his body off the ground but quickly fell back down. He looked to the left side of his body and found that his left foreleg broken and shredded. The fur and skin were ripped off revealing flesh and blood that soaked the ground. He growled in pain.

 _Well, don't feel alone. You're not the only one who failed someone they loved. Unfortunately, I can now say I'm a member of that club._ Arthur replied. He knew his body was failing him before when he was crushed under Zulev's massive foot. Now his body was incredibly weak broken. There was no way he was going to survive this, and thus Arthur had lied to Ana when he said he would return.

 _I guess so._ Zulev said laughing. Even when they were both dying, Zulev still managed to laugh like it was nothing. It almost made Arthur feel better about passing. _Who knew that both of us would be dying here today. I was confident I had you when you were buried under my foot. But you not only proved me wrong but the whole world wrong. You have my respect, Arthur._

Arthur laughed at what Zulev said causing his throat to ache. _I just now earned your respect? Apparently, I didn't try hard enough during my trip here._

 _Ha! You had it easy. I'm going to have to tell you some of the things I've seen in Vincent's mind. It's like a whole other world in there. That old geezer has seen some things._ Zulev said laughing with Arthur. He couldn't say this was the way he thought he'd be going out, but he was kind of glad it was.

Arthur stood on his other three legs to the best of his ability. Even though he was laughing and smiling with Zulev, he still had one last thing to do. He still needed Zulev's true blood. Even if he was weak and wobbly, he needed to fight through the pain to save his people and family.

Arthur began to make his way towards Zulev slowly but surely as he asked. _What happened to her if you don't mind me asking?_

Arthur felt Zulev's attitude shift greatly making him regret asking the question. _She killed herself._ Arthur felt his heart drop as the words rang through his mind. _She decided she would rather be dead than live with someone who had submitted to the Scourge. So she killed herself._

 _I… I'm sorry._ Arthur said truly feeling sorry for what he would have to do next after hearing about what had happened to Zulev.

The large Titan laughed loudly in Arthur's mind before saying. _Don't feel bad, Arthur. You're doing me a great deed by ending my life. I'll get to see her again. I'll get to see that beautiful smile again after two million years of waiting._

Arthur wanted to say something else, but he noticed something moving on Zulev's body. Multiple things. He looked closer and realized that it was the Scourge. As Arthur made his way towards the Titan's body, the scourge began to notice him approaching. He expected them to start attacking immediately, but instead, they looked afraid as he got closer.

 _They fear you, Arthur. I can feel it in their minds. They know you're injured and still, they're too afraid to challenge you._ Zulev said. _You've shown them something they thought impossible and now they're terrified of you. You showed me something I thought impossible and now after the two million years I've lived, I finally see that the Scourge_ can _be beaten. Give them one last nightmare to haunt them._

Arthur stopped walking and stood as straight as he could and lifted his head high. He opened his mouth and roared, "Your so-called god has fallen and now I stand here waiting for anymore who wish to challenge me! Come face me Scourge! Face me and I will melt you just like your burnt god! Face me!"

The Scourge stared in fear as some began to run. Others stood their ground trembling. Arthur took another step towards them making more of them flee from the valley.

"FACE ME!" Arthur roared into the valley as loud as he could. The remaining Scourge finally started to run in fear as well. Arthur noticed they weren't the only ones there, however. He noticed in the mountains hundreds of Scourge were running to the west. All running in fear of what Arthur had done to Zulev.

He held his ground and stood through the pain in his body until all the Scourge had fleed the mountains. After he believed they were gone, his body collapsed. He fell to the ground in agony as he started to become weaker and weaker with each passing second. The world was getting blurry and the feeling in his body was leaving him.

 _It seems our time is coming, Prince Arthur. Soon we will leave this world._ Zulev said in a quiet voice.

 _Not yet. I still need to save them. I can't stop until…_ Arthur lost his thought in his head as he laid on the ground staring at the massive Titan. He needed to live just a little longer. He had to save Ana even if he had to drag Zulev's heart for hours. He had to push through.

 _You have done enough, Arthur. Your people will take it from here. Rest now._ Zulev said confusing Arthur. But he understood what Zulev was saying as he heard people coming from behind him. Soon after, he saw soldiers run past him towards Zulev.

Zulev laughed quietly in Arthur's mind again. _We will see each other again, Arthur Drachen. I hope in the afterlife we can share a drink together at the table where our ancestors are surely waiting. Goodbye, Arthur Drachen. And thank you._ Arthur felt his connection to Zulev snap like a rope leaving him alone with his thoughts.

 _Goodbye, Zulev._ Arthur said back feeling an overwhelming amount of sadness in himself. In the time he had known Zulev, he had found a friend in the massive Titan even if he had plagued the Divine Kingdom. Now that he couldn't hear Zulev's voice, he felt sad and beaten knowing his friend was gone. But at the same time, he knew he would be talking to Zulev soon enough.

Arthur felt someone turn him over on his side allowing him to see who it was. A serperior stood over him extremely worried as she examined him. "Arthur? Can you hear me?" Myra asked as she pushed her tail underneath his head.

"Myra. I need to ask a favor of you," Arthur said to her as he looked up. Arthur wouldn't get the chance to tell his father or Ana how sorry he was. So he needed someone else to deliver the message for him.

The serperior looked at him with worry as tears began to fall out of her eyes. She knew that Arthur was on the brink and that nothing could save him now. The soldiers wouldn't be able to get him back to the City of Aaron fast enough. Even if they had, his wounds were too grave.

"Anything," she responded with a grim expression.

Arthur took a deep breath. The air going down his lungs felt like a fire that could actually burn him. He fought through it and steadied his breathing before saying, "There's this girl in the Capital. She's a bright pink leafeon who works at a small pie shop within the inner walls. There's a lot of things I wish I could've said to her. One of those things being how sorry I was for lying to her. For how I acted towards her. Tell her that I'm sorry and that I love her."

Arthur coughed out blood and took another breath as he acknowledged the second message he wanted Myra to deliver, "As for my father. Please tell him I'm sorry for not being a better prince and a better son. I wish I could've done things differently."

Myra smiled at me and said, "Arthur. You have done more than anyone of us could have imagined. I don't think your father would have asked for anyone else to be his son if it wasn't you." She wiped her face and before saying in a shaky voice, "You have done enough for your people, Arthur. Now rest my boy. We'll take it from here. You have nothing left to worry about. So rest."

Arthur relaxed the muscles in his body and rested his head on Myra's tail as the night sky came into view. He looked up at the stars that gleamed in the sky with a radiant glow alongside the moon that shimmered through the valley.

Arthur had closed his eyes halfway before he had seen something he had never seen before. A bright light lit up and covered the sky in blankets and waves of colors. They wiggled through the air illuminating everything beneath them.

 _The aurora._ Arthur thought to himself as he gazed upon it in awe. He had heard stories, but he never imagined they were this gorgeous. Nothing could've prepared him for their beauty.

He thought he might've been imagining things as he slowly slipped away from reality, but he thought he had heard a song. Although it wasn't clear what the song was about or who was singing it, it was perfectly sung. Arthur closed his eyes with a smile on his face as the song flowed through his head delivering him to his final rest.

 _Goodbye, Ana._

* * *

 **Disciple of Thunder**

* * *

Cooper walked through the crowds of people who were talking with each other quietly under the bright lights in the sky. Some had waved at him or even talked with him a little about where he had come from and what his journey was like. Even though they had sort of gone through a funeral, everyone seemed to have a smile on their faces as if everything was good in the world.

Something he had been dreading as he walked through the crowd was having to travel back into the mountains to find Conter who was at the center of the cluster of the monstrous mountains. That was also the problem with traveling to Conter. He had no idea what to expect.

Essentially, the center of the Conter Mountains was a giant thunderstorm that never ended. That was what people said it was like at least. The further you went in, the crazier it got. He remembered someone saying that at one point, it would become a raging hurricane without end. Even if Cooper was a thunder type, how would he traverse gigantic mountains that were covered by a neverending storm that got worse the further in you went?

There was also talk about the center causing insanity. In a sense, it was a sort of maze that threw you off guard wherever you went and would cause you to see things that weren't there. Not to mention that nothing grew in the storm, no water could be found, and there was nowhere to hide. If Ethan and he were going to be traveling through that, they would have to be well prepared for the toll it would take on them.

Now, something that did come to Cooper's mind was the center of the storm itself. The center of a hurricane was called the eye of the storm. It was the calmest place in any hurricane. So calm that if someone couldn't see the storm surrounding them, they wouldn't notice it in the first place. Cooper wondered if that was where Conter resided. The place that nobody could reach, but was incredibly peaceful and grown out.

Cooper removed the thought from his mind as a brown figure was leaning against a tree away from the crowd. Ethan was standing there surrounded by a few children who were barraging him with questions that only seemed to annoy him. He eventually noticed Cooper making his way towards him and told the kids something that made them walk off.

"Little brats. I thought people were supposed to be afraid of something they can't understand," Ethan grunted. Cooper was kind of surprised to see Ethan up and about especially after Fenna had warned him about the song affecting him in harmful ways. But surprisingly enough, Ethan looked fine.

"This whole forest is weird, Ethan. I'm confident enough in my assumption that the kids here tend to go towards something they don't understand rather than run from it," Cooper said looking up at the trees that were still swaying.

"I'm going to have to agree with you on that one. Hell, they might even be as weird as us villagers from Conter Valley," Ethan said looking at Cooper. A few seconds later both of them burst into laughter after hearing the ridiculous comparison.

"Well, I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one," Cooper said laughing some more. "If there's one thing Conter Valley has going for it, it's the unknown ways of its people."

They both laughed at if for a few more seconds before stopping and looking at the crowd again. "Do you think things will ever go back to the way they were?" Cooper asked thinking about what it would be like to live in Conter Valley again after all the chaos and destruction it endured.

Ethan thought about it as he stared at the Aurora before looking down at one of his claws. He frowned at it and said, "If we did go back, things won't be the same, that's for sure." Cooper nodded in agreement as he looked away towards the crowd.

He noticed through the crowd, Fenna was making her way towards him and Ethan. As she did, some people would be giving her their condolences and their best wishes. She still looked upset and rightfully so, but her mood had slightly gone up with half a smile on her face.

Ethan noticed her approach just as quickly as Cooper and said, "Oh great. Here she comes most likely to give us a lecture about what we should expect to face out there. I swear if she starts talking like a mother on their kid's first day of school."

As Fenna escaped the crowd and approached the two, she said, "I hope you two are ready. I want you both to eat something within the hour before you go and maybe rest a little. It's going to be a long journey even with the shortcut back to the mountains." Cooper had to turn away to hide his smile while Ethan let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I'm serious. This journey will be more taxing than you can imagine," Fenna said frowning at both of them before whacking them with her ribbons.

"Hey hey. We didn't mean anything by it," Ethan said cowering closer to the tree and eyeing her ribbons carefully.

"Sure," she said as Cooper also took a defensive position knowing all too well that her ribbons were cruel things. "So, for your journey, you're going to need some food and water to keep you fed and hydrated enough. Seeing as how even with the shortcut it's still a long journey, I'll be sending a few of my Valkyries with you to help along the way until you reach the storm."

"Um. If you don't mind me asking, what is the shortcut and who are your Valkyries?" Cooper asked confused.

"Oh. That's right, we didn't talk about the shortcut yet," she said sighing. "It's basically a portal that makes it easier to access the mountains. It's what Ethan used to get you here faster."

"Really? A portal. That's it? I thought it would be a little more complicated than that," Cooper said kind of disappointed it wasn't something crazier.

"Well if you want it to be more complicated. I can tell you it's not the only one. There's plenty of other portals in the kingdom leading to the Unseen Forest. A whole system of them. They were created by a special person like you and me who could create portals," Fenna explained.

"Who has that kind of power to create a large system of portals spanning the entire kingdom? Is it the friend Morton was talking about?" Ethan asked joining in on the conversation.

Cooper remembered when Morton had talked about a friend of his forging a shortcut to the forest that would make a couple of weeks travel a three-day trip. Even if his friend did have that kind of ability, how could they create portals spanning an entire kingdom?

"Yes. And I can't explain how he does it. He always goes into some thorough and confusing explanation about stepping between realities essentially creating a bridge across a dimension that can't be crossed even though he does. If you meet him someday, you'll have to ask yourselves, because I can't understand it and I'm wise and old," Fenna said sitting down.

"What's it like?" Cooper asked Ethan.

"Well," he said scratching his chin. "There's nothing to it, to be frank. You just sort of… step through it and come out somewhere else. It tickles a little, but that's it."

"It looks simple and yet sounds so complicated," Fenna said. "Anyways. As for the Valkyries. They're my special force. Each a different type with a few exceptions. Each of them is extremely well trained and they'll provide you the protection you need on your journey."

She looked to the crowd and beckoned forth a group of four people standing together. The four of them walked over and Cooper quickly realized that they were all women that looked around the same age as him. There was a gothitelle, a seviper, a luxray, and a rapidash.

"These are four of my Valkyries. The gothitelle is Lyra, the seviper is Salif, the luxray is Isabelle, and the rapidash is Tyra. They will help you make the journey through the mountains until you reach the storm which at that point, they will return to me," Fenna said smiling.

Cooper wanted to ask the question himself but was too nervous to. Ethan, however, didn't hesitate in asking, "Are all the Valkyries women?"

"Are you assuming that from the gender of four out of eighteen of them?" Tyra asked staring at Ethan.

"Why yes, I am. Am I wrong?" Ethan asked back while returning her stare.

"No," Isabelle answered for Tyra. Ethan smirked at Tyra. Cooper could already see a fight starting up between the two on the journey they were going to have.

"Forgive my friend here. He's a little whack in the head," Cooper said earning himself a glare from Ethan.

"If you don't mind me asking," Salif said looking at Ethan curiously. "Why are you outside right now? The song is still going even if it's a little soft at the moment. Doesn't it hurt any?"

"Ha. Been out here since the middle of the song I think," Ethan said grabbing the instant attention of all of them. "I was prepared for it when I was in the room. But when it started going, I didn't feel any pain. In fact, it was quite soothing. So I came out to watch and realized that I couldn't hear any ringing."

"You really can't?" Salif asked confused.

"If I had, I would've gone back inside until we'd have to leave. But here we are," Ethan said smiling proudly. Ethan was probably doing it just to be smug. But Cooper thought he might've also been doing it because he was grateful to be somewhat different from other Scourge.

"When you get back, I'll want to have a conversation with you Ethan to learn more about why you're different than from other Scourge. Maybe if we can find the reason you're like this, we might be able to find a way to cure other Scourge," Fenna suggested. Although Ethan didn't look all that convinced and neither did Cooper, to be honest.

"Well let's put that aside for now. Since we've gotten introductions done, I think we should prepare for the trip yes?" Fenna asked looking at the six around her. "So as I said to you two. I think you guys should-"

Fenna was interrupted by the trees shaking violently while the ground rumbled ever so slightly. The song that was humming through the trees suddenly stopped. The crowd of people became deathly silent as they looked around in confusion and fear at why the song had stopped.

"What happened?" Cooper asked as he looked at the crowd who was looking at Fenna for an explanation.

"Shh," Fenna said as she got close to the tree Ethan was leaning on and pressed her ear against it. She stayed like that for a minute until she finally pulled off and stood still.

"My lady, what has happened?" Lyra asked stepping closer. The crowd was also waiting for an answer as they stared at Fenna.

She hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Prince Arthur has fallen." The crowd burst into whispers and gasps of disbelief. But both Cooper and Ethan were confused at what that meant.

"Why is that important?" Ethan asked looking at Fenna. "He's just a prince."

"What about the Titan?" someone asked from the crowd.

Fenna stood still for a few more seconds looking scared herself. Her expression, however, changed quickly from scared to surprised and relieved as she said, "Zulev has been slain."

The crowd burst into madness as some people started hugging each other while others were shouting out questions. Cooper was completely shocked at what he was hearing. He had heard Prince Arthur was a selfish and heartless person who didn't care for his people. But this didn't sound like him. A selfish prince who had killed Zulev, one of the most feared creatures in the West Mountains. Cooper had heard the stories and couldn't believe that someone so small could kill something as big as a Titan.

"He actually did it?!" Tyra asked Fenna.

"It has cost him his life, but yes. He killed Zulev. This means it has begun and that we must accelerate our efforts," Fenna said turning to Cooper and Ethan. "You both are going to have to leave now."

"Wait. I thought you said we would get an hour to rest and eat something before we left. Now you're saying that because Prince Arthur has somehow killed Zulev that we have to leave now?" Ethan asked.

"I know what I said," Fenna said nodding towards the Valkyries who took off away from them. "But I didn't expect Arthur to kill Zulev this soon. Because of it, time is now against us. Follow me. I'll explain along the way."

Cooper and Ethan hesitantly followed Fenna down a path while the Unseen began to scatter running in different directions while the trees shook.

"You were expecting this? And what has begun?" Cooper asked Fenna as he started to walk by her side. There were so many new questions and Cooper wasn't sure if he could ask them all.

"We've been expecting this ever since Prince Arthur was born. We call it Ruan's Clock. As we already talked about, there needs to be a balance between good and evil. Unfortunately for Ruan, he couldn't step in to fight because he had already created two Titans. If he stepped in, it would create an imbalance between both sides. Now that Zulev is dead, however, Ruan can finally join the fight which spells chaos for everything this kingdom is," Fenna said going down into a long hall underground with a glint at the end of the tunnel.

"Does his power compare to a Titan's though?" Ethan asked.

"Ruan has always been stronger than a Titan, otherwise why would he be king? It's just the difference in the size of destruction. A Titan is massive which allows it to annihilate more opponents at once whereas Ruan has to target two or fewer opponents at a time, but has plenty of power that allows him to endure multiple enemies at once. If he wanted to, Ruan could've killed Zulev at any given moment," Fenna said as they approached two large iron doors with two dragonites in front of them.

The doors were at least four times Cooper's size and on the doors were engravings. The engravings looked like they were representing some kind of battle. Cooper could see Scourge running or fleeing from a king who stood over a dead Scourge who didn't look like any type of pokemon that Cooper had seen before. He guessed the Scourge might've been Ruan. To the king's sides were four warriors who had the symbols of different elements above each of their heads.

Before Cooper could view the elements and the people below those elements more carefully, the two guards pulled open the doors that led into a massive dome-shaped room. On the walls touching the ground, there were multiple large swirlings pools with each of them having a different image on them. Cooper quickly notice that one of the pools had an image of the Conter Mountains. There was no mistaking it.

He guessed that was the portal they had used to get to the forest since Fenna was moving towards it.

As she stood in front of it, she turned around to Cooper and said, "This is the portal that got you here and it's going to be the same portal that's going to get you back to the mountains. Once you get there, I'd advise both you along with the Valkyries to move quickly. You won't have many rations left the slower you go."

"Will this Conter have anything to eat once we get there? Even in the chaos of that bloody storm?" Ethan asked the question Cooper had been wanting to ask.

"He doesn't live in the storm itself. He lives in the eye of it. The center," Fenna said proving Cooper's theory about Conter living in the center where it was peaceful.

"But doesn't the storm move?" Ethan asked in confusion.

"No. Conter is the reason that storm has been raging on for thousands of years and the reason why it's never once moved," Fenna explained.

Ethan looked surprised as he asked, "How is that possible? Nothing could keep a storm as large as that one raging for thousands of years and not get tired."

"But he can," a voice said behind them. Cooper and Ethan turned around to see the four Valkyries they had seen earlier walking towards them. Each of them was carrying bags that most likely had food and water for the journey. "Once you meet him in person, you'll understand why he can."

"Thanks for the heads up," Ethan said looking unconvinced that any pokemon could keep a storm up for that long. Cooper didn't think it was possible either, but Conter had been living for three million years. It might be possible even if it seemed like it wasn't.

"Now that you're all here, you must be on your way. There is no time to waste," Fenna said quickly as she stepped out of the way.

Cooper stared into the portal and could see the mountains waiting for him on the other side. Conter was most likely waiting as well to connect to Cooper's mind. He didn't know how long he was going to be in the Conter Mountains for. He did know that as soon as he crossed through the portal, he would lose any privacy as there would be a three-million-year-old voice in his head constantly.

"Just remember you two. The mountains are no longer safe. Scourge could be anywhere. Stay on your guard at all times," Fenna said looking at Ethan and Cooper.

"Back into the fire after just leaving it. Just our luck," Ethan groaned as he walked towards the portal. Cooper watched Ethan step through the swirling image blurring his body and onto the ground on the other side.

"Cooper," Fenna said looking at him. "I don't know how long Conter tends to keep you there. But try not to stay too long. Zulev's death will scare off the Scourge for a little bit. But not too long. Eventually, they will return and we will need you back here when they do. I sense this war will be one we'll all have to fight. The Divine Kingdom, the Unseen, the Watchers even."

Cooper smiled at her and said, "I understand. We'll be back soon enough." With that Cooper walked towards the portal with the Valkyries right behind him.

He stepped into the swirling pool and his eyes became blurry as the world changed rapidly. The air went from warm to cool and he felt that ticklish feeling that Ethan was talking about earlier. Except it felt more like an itch. The smell of the forest disappeared and now Cooper could smell the familiar and soft scent of the mountains.

He also felt the familiar and foreign conscience enter his mind taking away his privacy. The old man's voice was deep and determined as he said. _Welcome back Mr. Verlidian. We have much to discuss._

* * *

 **Princess of Light**

* * *

Alan's eyes shot open as he looked towards the flap of the tent. He stared at it for a few seconds as Elise tried to get up. Her body was still aching from getting up too fast, but she knew that they needed to move. She didn't want to lose anybody else she cared about.

"We have to go!" Elise said as she was finally standing on all fours. "The same thing happened in Conter Valley! The explosions go off and the Scourge moves in to wipe out the rest. We need to get out of here!"

Alan was quick to move as he grabbed her bag and threw it over his back again. He pushed into her and helped her walk quickly out of the tent. The sun was setting in the sky and Elise could see smoke rising through the air. Multiple tents in the distance were on fire and she could see villagers running from the source of the explosions. More importantly, she noticed brown disfigured bodies following those running and screaming people.

It was like she was reliving her past all over again. The fire and the smoke. The sound of explosions mixing with the sound of screams and cries for help. Only this time she couldn't run.

Alan noticed the Scourge too and started helping her walk the opposite way. She saw soldiers running past her charging headfirst into battle with no hesitation. She wondered how many lives would be taken that day. She wondered if there would be any survivors this time or if the Scourge would finish the job.

They kept moving until they found the wagons that were being filled hastily. Mothers, children, and the elderly were being placed on the wagons while younger men were being given weapons before going following the soldiers into battle with fear in their eyes. The only thing on Elise's mind, though, was that if the younger men were being pulled out to fight, Alan was going to fight for sure because he was a soldier which scared Elise more than anything at that moment. She couldn't lose another person she cared about. It would be too much to handle.

"Alan! Elise! Over here!" Nelsa called out from one of the wagons to Elise's left. Alan found the wagon she was in and took Elise over to it where the soldiers helped her up into it.

"Nelsa. Take care of her until I get back," Alan said as he prepared to take off.

Elise grabbed his foreleg before he could leave, however, and said, "No! Please don't leave me, Alan. I need you here." Elise felt tears form in her eyes. "I don't want to lose someone else I care about. Please."

Alan looked at her and smiled as he said, "Consider this my promise that I'll come back." He lifted her foreleg and kissed it sending chills down her spine. His foreleg slipped out of her grip and he took off running before she got the chance to say anything.

Elise wanted to jump out of the wagon and chase after him. But she would fall face-first into the ground if she tried to jump out of the wagon and she would trip if she tried to run. She was in no condition to do anything. She felt powerless like on the day she had lost her father. She couldn't do anything to save him and now she couldn't do anything to save Alan.

Elise laid down inside the wagon and curled up into a ball as she began to cry. How much more did she have to lose before the world was finally done hurting her? She had lost her father, she had lost her home, the father of her baby had abandoned her, and now another person she loved might be taken from her. What was next?

She felt Nelsa's paws lift her head onto her lap. Elise began to cry as Nelsa rubbed her back. "It's okay dear. He's going to be alright. He told you he'll be alright. Trust him enough to come back to you alive," Nelsa said.

"What if he doesn't Nelsa? What if I don't see him again?" Elise asked feeling the tears pour down her face. She wouldn't be able to bear hearing that Alan had fallen in battle.

"Alan is a strong soldier. He led the rescue party during the attack on Conter Valley. You have to have some faith in him and believe that he'll come back," Nelsa said encouragingly. Elise was still doubtful though. She knew what the Scourge was truly like. Vicious beasts that were stronger than regular pokemon. One of their attacks had taken her father's arm right off.

"I'm just scared Nelsa. I lost my father and… and my mate to those monsters. I'm afraid of losing Alan now. I've seen what those things can do and I'm afraid I might lose someone else I care about to their wrath," Elise said trying to contain herself.

"This one's filled up! Get it on its way!" someone yelled from outside of the wagon. " There's no time to waste! Get a move on!"

Elise lifted her head to peek out of the wagon and into the camp. She could see most of the tents were on fire and that the smoke was beginning to cover the skies. She couldn't see past the smoke, but she knew Alan was in there somewhere fighting to protect her and everyone else on the wagons. She prayed quietly to herself as she looked out.

While she was praying, however, she started to hear a tune. A voice. A song rang through the air more vivid than any other sound around here. The voice sang a song with lyrics that were not from her spoken language, but she could still understand it. She could make out everything it was saying.

The air began to glow as the sky lit up with blankets of different colors. They rippled through the sky illuminating everything around them. It was the Aurora. Her father had told her many stories about the Aurora and its gorgeous light in the sky. He told her that if she listened closely when the Aurora was going on, she could hear a melody, a song. She was hearing that melody now, except she didn't have to listen closely. She could hear it clearly. Like the world was talking to her. The people around her began to look out the wagons as well and gaze into the starry sky with her.

"I've never seen anything like it. It's beautiful," Nelsa said smiling at the waves of colors.

Their moment of viewing the colors ended when they heard shrieks of anguish coming from the battle. Elise looked towards the battle trying to see if she could see past it to find out what was going on. The shrieks frightened her until she figured out that they were not coming from the soldiers, they were coming from the Scourge. No regular pokemon could make those horrendous sounds.

"What's going on over there?!" a voice called out.

"Are they alright?!" another voiced yelled.

Elise continued to listen to the villagers' questions while staring into the smoke. Were they winning because of the lights? Or were the soldiers winning the battle because of the song? She wondered if it was hurting the Scourge. She needed to know, but she couldn't get out of the wagon. So she had to wait impatiently.

"Who's that?" Nelsa nearly whispered. Elise tried to find who Nelsa was looking at until she gazed upon a type of shiny umbreon she had never seen before. His fur was a bright white instead of black, the rings on his body glowed a vibrant gold, and his eyes were a perfect diamond blue that gleamed with brilliance. The other people around her stared in disbelief as the god-like umbreon looked around as if he was searching for someone.

Then his gaze fell upon Elise. He stared at her for a few seconds until he smiled and walked over to her. The soldiers jumped in front of the wagon and held out their weapons. The umbreon stopped and looked at both of them.

"Pardon me, gentlemen. But may I speak to that young lady right there?" the umbreon asked as he gestured to Elise. She moved closer to Nelsa and tried to hide. But the umbreon's stare was unavoidable.

"Who are you and where did you come from?" the soldier asked aiming his weapon at the umbreon ready to attack at any moment.

He smiled and said, "Ah. Forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sphyn Nightfall. That young lady is my niece and I've come to take her home."

"Her name is Elise Felix. And if you are her uncle, how come we've never seen you before?" Nelsa spoke for Elise. But Elise's mind was running a million miles at the moment. Everybody else believed that her last name was Felix, but they didn't know that a voice in the mountains had told her that her last name _was_ Nightfall and that her family was as old as the Scourge.

"Unfortunately, her mother and I have been far too preoccupied to see Elise. I knew Mr. Felix well and I hope he can vouch for me if he's around," Sphyn said tilting his head to see if he could find Elise's father.

Elise felt that pain resurge through her body and water started filling her eyes again. "M-my father is… he's…" Elise trailed off as the words got caught in her throat.

Nelsa pulled her into a hug and said to Sphyn angrily, "Her father and her mate didn't make it after the Scourge attacked our valley. How come now you come out of nowhere claiming to be her father after the valley fell? What makes you think you can just appear from thin air and give us the excuse that you're trying to bring her home?" The other villagers seemed to be getting annoyed as well.

Sphyn's expression changed to one of great sorrow as he said, "That explains the Aurora. I'm… sorry to hear about her father. Benjamin was a good man. But may I ask Elise. Did Cooper really perish as well?"

"Why does it explain the Aurora? And how do you know his name? Who do you think you are?" Nelsa asked getting angrier along with the villagers.

Elise peeked out from Nelsa's hug at Sphyn who was staring at her with questioning eyes. She knew the answer, but she still wasn't sure about Sphyn. Nelsa was right, where was he when the Scourge attacked the valley? Where was he when she lost everything she loved in her life? Why did he choose to show up now of all times? She needed more proof than Conter's word and Sphyn's word.

"Prove you're my uncle," Elise said to him. "Give me some kind of proof and I'll tell you."

"Elise. Don't listen to this weirdo's rambling. He's just random stranger," Nelsa said pulling Elise closer to her.

But Sphyn only smiled as he asked, "You can hear the song, yes? The melody?"

Elise froze in place as she stared at the shiny umbreon. Were they the only ones who could hear it out of everyone in the group? Was it because she was related to him that she could hear it? Whatever the case, it was proof enough that he was her uncle.

"Are you crazy or something?" one of the soldiers asked. "There's no song playing right now. Can't you hear the Scourge in the distance?" The villagers grunted in agreement.

Elise sat up and chimed in the conversation before the situation got any worse, "I can hear it. If you _are_ here to take me home, know I won't leave without everybody else here. That's including the soldiers fighting the Scourge right now."

Nelsa looked at Elise and asked, "What do you mean you can hear it? Elise, what's going on?"

Sphyn looked behind him towards the battle for a few seconds before turning back around to Elise and saying, "Of course. Wait here for a minute. I'll be back." Sphyn turned around and ran towards the battle before the soldiers or Nelsa got to say anything.

Elise watched as Sphyn disappeared into the smoke. She prayed Alan was still alive and that Sphyn would bring back the soldiers alive as well. While she was praying, her mind was going to fast to explain what she was talking about to anyone around her. Everything was so complicated and she didn't know how to explain to the villagers that a voice had told her who she truly was and what song she was hearing and how. It wouldn't make any sense to them. Nothing did anymore.

"Elise. Are you alright dear?" Nelsa asked concerned. "What's he talking about?"

"It's really hard to explain, Nelsa. I don't know how to say this, but Cooper is alive," Elise said rubbing her head.

"What? How? Alan said-"

"I know what Alan said. But… but someone told me that Cooper was still alive. I've actually talked to him since we left the valley," Elise said hoping not to get any more questions even though she knew more were to come.

"How have you talked to him? Who told you? How did he survive the house?" Nelsa asked. The other villagers in the wagon seemed to be listening in on the conversation as well.

"Again. It's very hard to explain Nelsa. But you have to trust me when I say that we need to go with him. I know he seems incredibly suspicious, but he _is_ my uncle and he can offer us shelter," Elise said. At least she hoped he could. She didn't even bother to consider where Sphyn lived and if it might be big enough to hold a whole village and then some. She knew it was safe considering Conter had told her that nobody had found it.

Nelsa opened her mouth to say something. But before she got the chance, the shrieks of the Scourge suddenly stopped and the sounds of the battle that was happening a few seconds ago ended.

There was an odd silence for the awkward minute as everyone waited for a soldier to come out of the smoke and hopefully not a Scourge. Elise stared into the smoke searching for an absol to emerge unharmed. She wanted nothing more than to see his face and to hug him again. To rub against his fur and feel safe.

Suddenly, a soldier appeared from the smoke and then another and another until a whole group of soldiers appeared unharmed, but mostly confused and terrified. Elise scanned the faces carefully searching for that one face she cared about. The one person she needed to see to stay even a little bit sane.

Just when she was beginning to lose hope, she saw an absol walk out of the smoke. A big smile came across her face until she saw blood on one of his forelegs. Alan seemed to be walking fine, but maybe that was because he was in shock or something. He caught her gaze and quickly ran over to her. He didn't get in the wagon, but she was still able to reach him. She was only able to extend her head out of the wagon though which ended up with them kissing each other.

Elise hadn't kissed since the night with Cooper. She was afraid of what it might feel like with Alan. But much to her surprise, she enjoyed it and held onto Alan a little longer before pulling off to look at him.

He had this great big smile on his face as he asked, "So I'm guessing that means you'll come back to the Capital with me then?"

"Yes. That's what that means," Elise confirmed while she smiled back. She was still nervous and felt a little guilty about it. But why should she? Cooper had abandoned her. She needed someplace to live and someone to take care of her and the child. Alan had a home in the capital, he was a member of the Royal Army, and he would make a good father. At least with Alan, she and her child could live happily. That was all that mattered.

Elise's smile faded as she looked towards Alan's foreleg and inspected it. There didn't seem to be any wound that she could see. But it might be on the back of his foreleg or it might've been hidden by the blood. "Are you okay?" Elise asked worriedly.

Alan looked confused until he looked down at his arm and said, "Oh this. It's not mine."

"It's not… yours…?" Elise asked beginning to freak out.

"Don't worry. The man is fine, he just suffered a bit of a cut. But he'll survive with a scar," Alan said quickly and reassuringly.

"Aren't you two just adorable together?" Nelsa said from behind Elise. She turned around and found the mother smiling at both of them. "I think you guys go well together."

Elise blushed while Alan said, "I'm glad you think so. I was afraid it might've been too soon considering…"

"Well. About that…" Elise said quietly, but loud enough for both Nelsa and Alan to hear.

"Yeah. Elise was telling me that Cooper is alive somehow and that she's spoken to him since we left the valley which is beyond me. But she says to trust her," Nelsa informed a very confused Alan.

"But I found him crushed by a house and trust me when I say he was buried under there good. There's no way someone could survive that," Alan said looking at Elise.

"I would like to know about that too if you don't mind," Sphyn called out as he appeared from the smoke. The soldiers, including Alan, seemed to jump at hearing his voice and whipped around swiftly into defensive positions.

Sphyn looked exhausted when he came out of the smoke. The rings on his body weren't glowing as brightly and it even looked like walking was a bit difficult for him. Elise wondered what he had done to end the battle so fast. It even looked like most of the soldiers came out fine safe for a select few who were injured.

He began to progress towards Elise, but Alan stepped in the way and said, "Don't come another step closer whatever you are."

"I am a regular person just like you with a hint of something else that doesn't matter at the occurring moment," Sphyn said as he stopped with a frown of annoyance on his face.

"How can you honestly say that after turning all those Scourge into stone?" a soldier called out. The rest of the soldiers began to ask the same thing while the villagers looked confused and afraid at the same time.

"Because it _doesn't_ matter. I have held off the Scourge for now, but I won't be able to do that again the next time they come around for I am too tired. Plus, you have injured that need taking care of and you have my niece whom I plan on taking back to where she truly belongs, with her mother and her people," Sphyn said.

"What is that supposed to mean? What people are you talking about and how can you possibly help our injured?" Alan asked while Elise ducked behind Nelsa to avoid the stares and whispers that were going her way.

"No more questions," a deep voice called out from the smoke. A typhlosion emerged with the most serious face Elise had ever seen. He had a red and white cape wrapped around his neck that told everyone he was the captain of the group of soldiers. "I know most of you are confused, but you must trust this man. He will offer us sanctuary and a place to stay until we are ready to leave. Prepare the wagons!"

"But sir. We don't even know who he is!" Alan retaliated.

"He's the brother to a queen who will let us stay in her hidden kingdom and the uncle of Elise who is the princess of this hidden kingdom," the captain said as he walked towards the center of the mass of wagons. "And!" he raised his voice as some soldiers prepared to say something. "I could care less about your questions and your doubts. This man saved our hides today. Show him some respect and for Arceus's sake someone get me something to drink."

No one bothered to ask any more questions as the wagons were loaded with the villagers who were men. Sphyn sighed and walked closer to Elise's wagon, though Alan was still being protective of her and eyed Sphyn carefully.

"I still have questions for you," Alan warned while staring him down.

"I understand. You will have your answers once we reach the hidden kingdom. As for right now though," he said while looking at Elise. "I need to know one thing real quick and then I will leave you be until we reach the kingdom. Is Cooper alive?"

The eyes of everyone in the wagon fell on her, even Alan didn't say anything as he waited for an answer. Elise hesitated for a few seconds until she said, "He is."

She heard whispers of shock throughout the wagon as Sphyn said, "That is wonderful news to hear. Do you know where he is now?"

"Yeah. He said he was heading to the… Unseen Forest…" Elise trailed off as she looked at Sphyn who smiled at her. She felt a weird and nauseating feeling come over her. The pieces were beginning to fit into place as to where the hidden kingdom was. Where the group of soldiers and villagers were heading. It was all starting to make sense now. "Did he go to my mother?" Elise asked feeling weirder and weirder.

"Was he badly injured to the point of no return?" Sphyn countered with another question.

"Yes," Elise said fearing the answer she was about to receive.

"Then absolutely. Fenna's healing capabilities are incredible. If anyone can heal someone on the verge of death, it's her," Sphyn answered. Elise felt the world spinning more than ever. The pieces of the puzzle that filled her mind were coming together to form an answer that gave Elise a migraine. How much else was being kept from her? What other secrets had been hidden from her?

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you must understand that we have been keeping these things secret to keep you safe. When we reach the hidden kingdom, your mother and I will do our best to fill you in on who you are. For now, I suggest-" Sphyn stopped suddenly as his body trembled and he nearly collapsed. Whatever was happening to him was happening to Elise as well, except she did collapse inside the wagon. The song that was playing a few minutes ago just stopped and a feeling of dread filled her body like someone had just died. Someone immensely important, though she didn't know who.

Alan was quick to act as he jumped up into the wagon and sat right beside Nelsa who was helping Elise relax. Whatever had happened, it only seemed to happen to her and Sphyn. Another resemblance they shared that probably proved they were family.

"What's happening to her?" Alan asked as he let Elise rest her head into his fur.

Sphyn was silent for a minute as he continued to tremble. When he finally recollected himself, he leaned into the ground and he looked like he was listening to it. Alan was waiting impatiently for an answer while Elise was still trying to figure out what was going on.

After another minute, Sphyn stood up with only a slight tremble now and said, "Prince Arthur has made a great sacrifice." Sphyn's words caught the attention of most of the soldiers and villagers around him. Some looked greatly confused while others scowled at the name.

"The prince? What the hell has he done besides sitting in his castle all day?" a soldier called with others grunting and yelling in agreement.

"He has killed Zulev," Sphyn answered creating an uproar of questions and even more confusion. Elise was still confused as to how that was affecting her. Everyone knew what the prince was like, even the secluded villagers of Conter Valley. He was a selfish, careless person who never loved anyone but himself. So why was Sphyn describing that he had killed a Titan and had made a great sacrifice doing it? It also hit her that since Zulev was dead, Conter was the only Titan alive at the moment. "I'll try to answer more of your questions once we reach the kingdom. For now, however, I will take my leave. Take care, Elise."

As if her head couldn't hurt anymore, a new and scary question filled her mind. Conter had talked about three different events that had to happen before he could tell her about who she truly was. Some Apple of Discord had to reach the Unseen Kingdom which she guessed was Cooper, the Titanslayer had to light the skies ablaze which she just figured out was Arthur considering he was a fire type and had slain Zulev, and when the eldest of two sisters found their way home which she didn't want to guess was her. But she needed to know.

"Wait," Elise said as Sphyn prepared to walk away. "I have one more question that I must know the answer to."

Sphyn sat down real quick and asked, "What would that question be exactly?"

Elise took a deep breath and sat up as she asked, "Do I have a younger sister?"

Sphyn's mood changed after hearing the question and he took a deep breath. Obviously, he didn't like the question which was all the more reason why she had to ask it. "Yes…" Sphyn answered quietly.

Elise felt light-headed as the news hit her that somewhere in the world for less than eighteen years, she has a sister. Though she was afraid that if she was hidden in Conter Valley, her younger sister was probably closer than she realized and she just never knew. Elise didn't want to ask the next question, but she needed to know who her younger sibling was.

"What's her name?" Elise asked in a shaky voice.

Sphyn gave her a disheartened look. "Do you want to know just her first name? Or the first name and last name she goes by?" Sphyn asked preparing himself for an answer he looked frightened to give.

"What she goes by right now," Elise answered. She braced herself as she ran the names and faces of every girl she knew who was younger than her through her head. She wanted to be prepared for Sphyn's answer even if it was going to be tough to bear.

Sphyn took another deep breath as he said, "Ana Peters."

The world slowed down as Elise tried to breathe. Out of all the people she had considered, she did not consider Ana. It was as if she had been blindfolded her whole life and someone just took off the blindfold revealing the reality to her. Ana Peters was her sister and more importantly, she was the sister of Cooper for years. Her younger sister had been living in the same valley as her alongside the person Elise had fallen in love and had a child with.

Elise was so in shock that the world was beginning to spin. Everything she had known had been a lie. The only person that made sense was her father. Everything else was a part of a giant puzzle that had been missing multiple pieces until recently. A puzzle that gave her the cold hard truth she was not ready for.

"Are you alright, Elise?" Sphyn asked looking at her worriedly. Elise nodded softly thinking she was fine. But before she knew it, she fainted into Alan's arms after trying to take in the information.

 **O O O**

When Elise started coming to, she had a bad migraine that made her want to sleep a little longer. Maybe she could've, considering how comfy Alan's fur was feeling at the moment. Her mind didn't want to go back to sleep though, for it was still trying to process everything she had found out. How could her parents keep such a huge secret from both of them? Maybe they were just keeping it from her. Ana may have already known and never said a word. She hoped that wasn't the case. She already felt betrayed by everyone she loved.

Elise decided that it would've been best to wake up instead of fall back to sleep. She had already gotten enough sleep during the wagon rides. Plus, she wasn't feeling all that sleepy anyways. At least if she was awake, she could talk to Alan for a bit.

However, Elise started to wonder why the road wasn't causing the wagon ride to be a little bumpy. In fact, she didn't even think it was bumpy at all. Had they stopped moving? Had they reached the Unseen Forest already? She couldn't have slept that long.

Elise moved her arm slightly to try and pull herself up from Alan's embrace, but she quickly noticed that something was covering her and the soft thing she was sleeping on wasn't Alan. She rubbed her head against the softness and figured out that she was sleeping in a bed. Not a sleeping bag or rolled up bed. But an actual, soft bed.

That wasn't the only thing she noticed. She noticed the strange and pure smell of a forest. A forest that smelled of all kinds of foods and plants with no foul stench of blood or suffering in range. There was the soft sound of the wind going through the room she was sleeping in that softened her tense mind and body. Everything felt incredible.

Elise slowly opened her eyes and allowed them to readjust to the room she was in. The room she was sleeping in had walls made of amethyst and were covered by vines. Each vine sprouted multiple flowers. Some Elise had seen while others she had no clue about. The ceiling was dome-shaped and was made of obsidian that had small diamond gems covering it in a large quantity. In the center of the dome was a large quartz circle which she guessed was the moon in the starry sky.

The bed she was sleeping in was made out of some kind of leaf that was soft to the touch and the blanket covering her was some of the softest cotton she had ever felt. The floor below her was a perfect white contrast to the ceiling and was lined with golden traces that created a gorgeous pattern of the sun.

Even though the room was eye-watering to look at, there was one thing that caught her eye immediately. In front of her bed sat a sylveon. A sylveon whose beauty could not be matched. She was looking directly at Elise with a huge smile while tears strolled down her face. Elise quickly found a resemblance between Ana's fur and the sylveon's fur. But she also found a resemblance on the sylveon's ribbons, head, tail, and legs that looked more like Elise's fur. She also noticed her diamond colored eyes that matched Sphyn's. Finally, after a few more seconds of staring, she understood who she was looking at and felt like she was going to begin crying herself.

Fenna spoke in a shaky and joyful voice as she said, "Hello Elise. Welcome home."

* * *

 **Part 1 _Fin_**

* * *

 **That is the end of part 1 of The Scourge Wars. I have enjoyed writing this series up to this point and it has made me a better writer with every chapter. If you believe that after a while I have given up on the story. Know that I haven't and won't until I see its end. To those of you that have been here since the first couple of chapters, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for following me on this journey and I hope you will follow me to the end.**

 **My plan for this series will be to split it into three parts. Part 1 is over and I'm glad to have finally seen it finished. Part 2 will be delayed as I need time to think and reflect. Angels and Demons will come out on the regular for the next few weeks. So I'll still be posting.**

 **While I think and reflect on The Scourge Wars. If you have the time, I would appreciate if you gave me your honest opinion on what you liked and what you didn't. I'm not forcing you to do it. You don't have to if you don't want to. But in order for me to improve as a writer and author. I need feedback. True and honest feedback that's not sugarcoated. What I'm good at and what needs work. It would make my day. Thank you.**

 **Again, thank you so much for getting to this point. It means so much to me as the author for someone to read and enjoy something I created. It honestly does. Criticism and reviews will always be appreciated. Thank you so much and I'll see you in Angels and Demons.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


	32. Sky Nightfall

**Part 2**

 **Chapter 31**

 **Sky Nightfall**

* * *

Everything had changed so much too fast. Elise had gone from the least important person in the group of villagers coming from Conter Valley to the most interesting person to talk to. She was no longer just an ordinary person coming from an ordinary life she used to live in the valley. She was the princess of a hidden kingdom that existed right beneath the snouts of the Divine Kingdom, daughter to a queen who had lived over eight-hundred years in hiding. Even if she could go back to Conter Valley one day, she didn't know if she would or could for that matter.

Being a princess meant she was heir to the throne of the Unseen Kingdom. However, she didn't understand how the hierarchy worked in the Unseen Kingdom. Her mother has lived so long as the queen which meant she would most likely live a long lifetime as well. So how would she become queen and when? Was there some kind of rite of passing, a proving, or did her mother's life have a limit to it? All were questions she wanted answers for, but her mother had been busy dealing with the whole Arthur incident trying to prepare for what she says is the beginning of something big.

That was also the talk going around the villagers of Conter Valley. The death of Prince Arthur Drachen wasn't something they thought they'd be worrying about or even thinking about, but that was one of the main topics since their arrival. Why did the life of a selfish, heartless prince have to matter to a small village close to the border of the kingdom who had strong feelings toward the prince? It all revolved around the death of the Titan Zulev.

While they rested in the Unseen Kingdom, the Divine Kingdom around them was healing from the plague that had spread weeks ago poising over two million people. The heart of the Zulev was cut out and conserved so that each drop of blood could be used to heal the sick. Just about everyone was cured save for those that the blood still had to reach. Following the cure was the story of Arthur Drachen that had become the tale of Arthur Drachen the Titanslayer. Though not many people would believe such a thing were true, the soldiers of the City of Aaron including the Countess, Myra Anders, vouched for the fallen prince stating that he had used an ancient power thought legend to defeat the Titan in battle.

A funeral for a royal was different compared to a regular person. For a royal, they are placed in their coffin and that coffin is sealed up tightly. Then the Royal Soldiers carry the royal around town where citizens can choose to follow the proceeding or give their blessings to the fallen royal. If the prince had fallen a few months ago, nobody would've cared. Nobody would have even attended the funeral. But after the soldiers took Arthur's body back to the City of Aaron, they proceeded with a funeral that traveled from the City of Aaron up to the Capital. From what the villagers heard, the City of Aaron was quiet as the streets were flooded with people following the coffin of Arthur Drachen. Most stayed behind as the coffin left the city, but some followed him the whole way to the Capital where it was an even larger mass of people following him to the catacombs where the Royals were buried.

Afterward, the mourning followed. The kingdom had already taken a hit to its' border and its' people, now the hero prince who had traveled a great distance and had slain a Titan much bigger and tougher than him had fallen from the living world leaving everything and everyone quiet. The only good news that came out of it was the death of Zulev. His death had scared off the Scourge giving the kingdom time to recover from everything that had taken place in four and a half weeks.

Her mother told her not to worry herself too much with what was going and that she should be focused on her pregnancy and try to stay well-rested after a harrowing journey. Elise didn't like to be restricted so much, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. She just had to wait it out until she gave birth. Luckily, she had Alan helping her around most of the time. The soldiers had nothing much to do considering the Scourge had fled the kingdom and since the forest was a safe haven that had never been breached. Plus, the citizens of the Unseen Kingdom didn't want any of the soldiers making a report about a hidden kingdom nobody knew about. Not yet at least. So they were left to relax and just walk around most of the time which gave Alan more time with her.

Though she still felt slightly guilty about being with someone else that wasn't Cooper, she couldn't complain that the last few weeks were good to her. Alan was a really caring person that took care of her whenever she needed it most. He was always there when she needed someone to talk to or when she needed help walking around. He knew how to take care of her and she couldn't ask for anything else. Eventually, she got so comfortable with him, they ended up sleeping in the same room together. She didn't mind, his fur was soft and his embrace was loving. She was happy being with him.

As much as it sounded harsh, she was kind of glad that Cooper wasn't still present in the Unseen Kingdom when she arrived. Her mother told her that he had left an hour before she got there. It was both relieving and devasting at the same time. She was so close to seeing a ghost of her past in person that had made her happy, sad, and angry just to be an hour late. It hurt knowing that he was just there, but at the same time, she was glad she wouldn't have to explain Alan or have to see him in person after he had hurt her.

Why should she even if he was still there? It wasn't like he was going to stay long. He _had_ to make a journey to the Conter Mountains to meet Conter himself to finish some sort of training for a secret power he had in him. She shouldn't have to explain herself to him after everything he'd done to her and it wasn't fair that she couldn't love someone else who would actually care for her when she needed it most. It was his fault that he was going to miss out on the birth of their child. It was his fault that she was with another person that cared more.

It didn't matter now as she laid in bed pushing in pain. A lilligant named Mabel and Elise's mother were helping her to get the baby out while another nurse, a leavanny named Sarah, was holding her alongside Alan who was speaking words she couldn't hear or understand. The only thing she was concerned about was getting the baby out and seeing her child. Everything else was blocked out as if a cloud was surrounding her.

To Elise, this all felt impossible. A dream or even possibly a nightmare depending on how she looked at it. She was going to be a mother at the age of eighteen giving birth to a child in a kingdom that didn't exist on the map while the father was off on a suicide mission in a now Scourge infested area. This was definitely not how she envisioned how her life would unwind. She expected to live a small, but peaceful life within Conter Valley away from the mass of people north of the mountains. A life where she could settle down with a mate and a family just like everyone else in the valley. Where she could grow crops most of her life and feel the breeze of the mountains come down on her, but that wasn't how her life was meant to be as it seemed.

She continued to fight through the pain as she stared up at the dome-shaped ceiling. Alan held her right foreleg and was speaking to her softly. She didn't imagine Alan being the one helping her fight through the pain. She thought Cooper would be by her side, that he would be the one speaking words of encouragement and helping her through this once in a lifetime moment. He wasn't though, instead it was a caring absol who stood by her helping her through the moment and she couldn't complain. At least he was willing to stay by her side when she needed it the most.

"Almost there, sweetheart. Just give it another big push!" Fenna said as she helped a Mabel prepare to wrap the baby in a leaf made towel. Elise was exhausted from the experience. She had been in labor for nearly nine hours. Nelsa had told her that it was a long and painful process, but it was worth it in the end. So Elise collected herself as she took a deep breath, squeezed Alan's paw tightly, and gave one more big push.

Then, the pain just suddenly ceased. She felt lighter than she did before giving birth and more importantly, she heard the cries of a baby coming from in front of her. She laid her head on the soft pillow of the bed and closed her eyes. Her breaths were short and she felt tired more than anything, but she was happy it was over.

"You alright, Elise?" Alan asked next to her, pulling up the sheets to cover her body.

She took another deep breath and answered, "Much better now that it's over. I'm extremely tired though."

"That's to be expected," Fenna said walking over to her side with a wrapped-up baby in her ribbons. "Congratulations my dear. It's a little lady."

Fenna handed off the wrapped up baby to Elise who pulled the newborn close to her face so she could see them. The little eevee was crying when she fell into Elise's forelegs. The little girl was a shiny, just like her mother and grandmother. Her fur had a light blue tone to it while her tuft and tail were aqua blue and her eyes that were barely open were crystal white.

Elise felt her heart racing, but not because she was scared. She felt her eyes water as she stared at her child, her own blood that she gave birth to. She was a mother now and she couldn't explain the feeling easily. It felt like all the evil in the world, all the sadness and anger just vanished. It felt as if just holding the newborn child vanquished all her nightmares.

Elise was overjoyed as she rubbed the top of the baby's head with her paw. The little eevee looked up at her and stopped crying. She moved her tiny paws out from under the leaf and placed them on one of Elise's toes. She opened her maw and then nibbled on the toe which made her giggle at the child's efforts.

"Hey there young one," Elise said quietly to her daughter. The little eevee continued to nibble on Elise's toe as if it was the most interesting thing ever.

"She's a cute one," Fenna said smiling. "So do you have a name for her?"

Elise had been considering what to name the child when they were born. She didn't know if it was going to be a boy or girl, so she tried picking out names for both genders that she thought would be nice, but she could never decide on which one to choose. Now that the child was born, however, the name popped up in her head as she gazed at the fur of the newborn.

"I think I'll name her Sky. It'll match her fur," Elise said smiling.

"Sky Nightfall. That's a nice name for her. Again, congratulations my dear," Fenna said leaning down to kiss Elise on top of the forehead. "I'll be leaving you now my dear. I have to attend to some things. Take care of her, Alan."

Fenna stood up and smiled at Elise once more before leaving the room alongside Mabel. Sarah stayed inside the room to clean up and to deal with preparations for the child. Alan sat next to her smiling at the child. Although it wasn't his, he didn't seem to care. He looked at her as if she was his own. Elise was grateful to have someone like him taking care of her and Sky.

Elise knew that in the tradition of the Unseen Kingdom, the last name of the ancient heritage was used. So the child's name should be Sky Nightfall. However, if that weren't the case, Elise wouldn't know which name to use. Tradition outside of the Unseen Kingdom said that the last name of the father was to be used, so then it should be Sky Verlidian. Then again, he wasn't there for the birth, and Elise wasn't with him anymore even if he didn't know it. She was with Alan now which should make the baby's name Sky Sebastian. But that didn't feel right either. It was a lot to think about and she was going to have to ask her mother later about it considering she had been named Elise Felix for so long.

"Why don't you say hello to her, Alan?" Elise said pulling her toe away from the little vee. Sky started to cry again as she attempted to reach for her mother's toe. Alan stepped closer and reached down to pet the baby. Now the baby was reaching for Alan's paw as it got closer, but Alan had claws instead of a paw, so he avoided Sky's maw as he rubbed her little head gently.

"She's adorable," Alan said smiling at Sky. She continued to try and reach for Alan's paw, but had no luck and eventually starting crying again. Elise lowered her paw down for Sky to nibble on again which ended the crying. "He's missing out on this. He should have been here to see his child."

Elise knew Alan was talking about Cooper and she was kind of upset that he even brought him up. "It doesn't matter now. He's already too far gone from the forest and by the time he gets back, we'll be living in the Capital. It's his fault for missing out on his daughter's birth and he's going to have to live with that," Elise said harshly. To her, it didn't matter if Cooper was a biological parent, Alan was going to be Sky's father now since Cooper had chosen his power over his child.

"Speaking of the Capital," Alan said, "Now that you've given birth. I wonder when we'll be allowed to leave. All the berries that were infected have been found and burned and the Capital should be a safe place now especially with the Royal army on high alert."

"My mother says she would like to keep me here a little while longer after the child was born to make sure the trip would be safe and comfortable for Sky," Elise said laying her head on the pillow again. "Plus, we have the villagers of Conter Valley to worry about as well. With the mountains infested by the Scourge, they have nowhere to go and we have to try and find somewhere suitable for them to live."

"We could try finding a place for them on the outskirts of the Capital. We'd have to build a bunch of new homes, but we might be able to make it work," Alan sighed.

"Hey. Are you doing alright, Darling? Anything bugging you?" Elise asked concerned that something might've been wrong.

"No. No, it's fine. I just… I just want to give you a happy life. Not a confusing, worrisome one having to do with all this madness going around. I want you to be happy," Alan said looking disappointed in himself.

"Hey," Elise said lifting her paw from Sky to hold Alan's face. She lifted her head a bit to kiss him which he happily returned. She pulled away after a few seconds and gave her toe back to Sky who was on the verge of crying again. "You've given me so much more than I could ask for. I'm happy enough just being with you. You shouldn't stress so much about this. Eventually, we'll go to the Capital where we'll be able to live a good long life. Until then, we should be grateful for what we have now and I'm grateful for having you."

Alan smiled at her and whispered to her, "I love you, Elise."

"I love you too, Alan," she responded, sitting up so she could kiss him again.

* * *

 **Ironically, I complained about my computer after writing chapter 9 of Angels and Demons, but I kid you not the next day I got a brand new computer that loads 20 times faster than the old one.**

 **So I gave it a test run on google docs and low and behold I have written chapter 31 of Scourge Wars. I couldn't help myself but write and write some more. The computer is really nice.**

 **Also. I am no expert on the pregnancy of a dog. I did my research and I wrote what I wrote based on my research. If I got some things wrong, which I expect to, forgive me. I did my best.**

 **Criticism and reviews are appreciated. See you next time.**

 _"Make the leap"_ \- Nice Guy Wolf


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